Intersections of Cosmology, Condensed Matter and Quantum Information

This award funds the research activities of Professor Daniel Boyanovsky at the University of Pittsburgh. Observations over the last two decades have unambiguously determined that 95% of the energy and matter content of our Universe is in the form of Dark Matter and Dark Energy, both of which require new theoretical frameworks for their understanding. The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the fundamental particles and their interactions and has been experimentally confirmed to great accuracy with current accelerators, with the discovery in 2012 of the Higgs particle. Despite its successes the Standard Model does not explain either Dark Matter or Dark Energy. However, compelling extensions beyond it provide tantalizing hints for the possible explanation of Dark Matter in the form of a new particle, the axion, which, if it exists, also provides a possible explanation of aspects of the strong interactions. Under this grant award, Professor Boyanovsky, in collaboration with students will pursue research on fundamental non-equilibrium aspects of this Dark Matter candidate to complement current experimental searches for its existence. Recently it has been proposed that a similar type of particle may exist in novel materials, thus the study of its properties and observational avenues is truly interdisciplinary and promotes the progress of science in many ways. The project is also envisioned to have significant broader impacts across disciplines. Professor Boyanovsky will involve graduate students in the research program, thereby providing critical training for junior physicists and a broad and enriching educational experience. The results will be disseminated via public lectures and shared openly with the community. More technically, Professor Boyanovsky and students will implement non-equilibrium effective field theory and quantum master equation methods borrowed from quantum information and other branches of physics, to study the production, decay and thermalization of Dark Matter candidates during the Early Universe determining its abundance, and to explore the tantalizing possibility of realizing these particles in novel materials which may provide platforms for quantum information. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.