OCTOBER 28 THEORY GROUP SEMINAR

Christopher Herzog, Princeton

Holographic Superfluidity and Superconductivity

Abstract

I will describe a simple gravitational model in 3+1 dimensions that is dual to a strongly interacting field theory in 2+1 dimensions with remarkable properties. The gravity model consists of a charged black hole that acquires scalar hair when the Hawking temperature becomes sufficiently low. The gravitational instability is dual to a phase transition in the field theory between a normal and a superconducting (or superfluid) state. From the gravity model, we calculate the thermodynamic and transport properties of the field theory, yielding intriguingly familiar results. These methods hold promise for understanding strongly interacting real world condensed matter systems.