Research portfolio
Research themes
I work at the intersection of quantum gravity, quantum information, and geometry. My research explores how spacetime, computation, and entanglement shape one another.
Research background
Quantum gravity, information, and geometry
My primary research interest is quantum gravity. I did my graduate training at Pennsylvania State University under Prof. Stephon Alexander and Prof. Martin Bojowald, applying ideas from many-body physics to cosmology.
That work included studies of four-fermion attraction mediated by the gravitational connection, possible fermionic condensates in cosmology, and a possible resolution of the cosmological constant problem.
With Sundance Bilson-Thompson, I wrote LQG for the Bewildered, published by Springer Nature in 2017. Across these projects, I use quantum information, many-body physics, and canonical quantum gravity to study a complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity.
Research areas
- Loop quantum gravitySpin networks and the discreteness of spacetime geometry.
- Quantum computationAlgorithms, error correction, and quantum information.
- String theoryDualities, conformal field theory, and links to LQG.
- CosmologyQuantum cosmology, early-universe physics, and the arrow of time.
- Many-body physicsTensor networks and quantum phase transitions.
- Elementary particlesParticles in LQG, braiding models, and scattering.
Recent work
- Arrow of time from symmetry breakingTensor-network methods for making time-reversal symmetry local in spin networks.
- Coherent states and particle scatteringParticle degrees of freedom on spin-network edges using coherent intertwiners.
- Quantum error correction in LQGConnections between topological particle models and three-qubit codes.
- LQG and string theoryConnections between discrete quantum geometry and string models.
Future directions
- LQG and string theoryStudy the relationship between discrete geometry and conformal symmetry.
- Experimental signaturesExplore possible quantum-gravity signals in particle spectra.
- Holography and quantum computationDevelop mathematical links between particles, gates, and quantum gravity.
- Tensor category theoryUse categorical tools to formulate candidate quantum-gravity systems.
Research history and motivation
The route to this work began with an interest in unifying the forces and interactions. After completing a BSc in 2003, I chose loop quantum gravity because it addressed the quantization of geometry itself. That path led to work on quantum cosmology, AdS/CFT, quantum computation, tensor networks, and many-body physics.
The continuing question is how to formulate a complete theory of quantum gravity while keeping its mathematical and physical content clear.