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Book release: Holographic Duality in Condensed Matter Physics (publication by LION PI's Jan Zaanen and Koenraad Schalm and others)

[10-11-2015]

(by: LION/EA)
The physics of black holes appears to be as far removed from the physics of electrons in metals as it can be. Now Prof. Jan Zaanen, Prof. Koenraad Schalm (both Leiden University), Dr. Yan Liu and Dr. Ya-Wen Sun (both Madrid University) have written a book presenting how the one can be used to explain exotic behavior of the other with the new mathematical techniques of holographic duality. Published by Cambridge University Press, it is as of now available at Cambridge University Press or Amazon.

‘This is the first book dealing with a surprising and major development at the very frontier of theoretical physics revolving around the application of mathematical techniques originating in string theory to condensed matter physics,’ say Zaanen and Schalm. ‘This is a rapidly developing research frontier, where literally hundreds of theoretical physicists are actively contributing. It was born as recently as 2007, and since then it has developed into a flourishing field. The rate of progress has been staggering and there is a shared perception that this reflects a major breakthrough at the very heart of modern physics.’

Abstract
A pioneering treatise presenting how the new mathematical techniques of holographic duality unify seemingly unrelated fields of physics. This innovative development morphs quantum field theory, general relativity and the renormalisation group into a single computational framework and this book is the first to bring together a wide range of research in this rapidly developing field. Set within the context of condensed matter physics and using boxes highlighting the specific techniques required, it examines the holographic description of thermal properties of matter, Fermi liquids and superconductors, and hitherto unknown forms of macroscopically entangled quantum matter in terms of general relativity, stars and black holes. Showing that holographic duality can succeed where classic mathematical approaches fail, this text provides a thorough overview of this major breakthrough at the heart of modern physics. The inclusion of extensive introductory material using non-technical language and online Mathematica notebooks ensures the appeal to students and researchers alike.