Talks

If string theory is the correct theory which unifies gravity with the other forces of nature at a quantum level, it should determine the evolution of the earliest stages of the universe. I will discuss how stringy signatures of this early phase may be visible in current cosmological observations.

I will discuss possible tests of the grainularity of space including modified dispersion relations in the formation of white dwarfs and neutron stars and constraints on a stochastic direction field from atomic system tests.

Renner\'s global quantum de Finetti theorem establishes that if the state of a quantum system is invariant under permutations of its systems, then almost all of its subsystems are almost in the same state and independent of each other. Motivated by this result, we show that the most straightforward classical analogue of Renner\'s theorem is false. Joint work with Matthias Christandl (Cambridge).

I will describe work aimed at understanding the dynamics of gravitational collapse in a fully quantum setting. Its emphasis is on the role played by fundamental discreteness. The approach used suggests modifications of a black hole\'s mass loss rate and thermodynamical properties. Numerical simulations of collapse with quantum gravity corrections indicate that black holes form with a mass gap.

This will be an introductory talk about Topological Quantum Computation. TQC is attractive because it is intrinsicaly decoherence free. We introduce the basic notions, such as non abelian anyons, quantum symmetries and topological order. A topologically ordered phase is a gapped phase in which the basic degrees of freedom are of a topological nature (denoted as anyons), charactetized by their fusion and braiding properties. If time permits possible implementations based on Quantum Hall systems will be discussed as well.

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If large extra dimensions exist, microscopic black holes may be created in TeV particle colliders and in Earth\'s atmosphere by the collisions of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with atmospheric nuclei. The decay of these black holes could soon be observed at the Large Hadron Collider or the Pierre Auger Observatory. Monte Carlo codes have been developed to simulate these events. In this talk I will introduce two of these codes (CATFISH for the LHC and GROKE for the PAO), and discuss how mini black holes can be distinguished from standard model or susy events.