Programme of Academic Talks

Tuesday 21 November
10:00-11:00 – Dmitry Noshchenko
Knots, three-manifolds, and bridges
11:00-12:00 – Tony Dorlas
The evolution operator for the Feynman quantum computer
14:30-15:30 – Atri Dey
Searching new physics at particle colliders
16:00-17:00 – Giandomentio Palumbo
Spin-resolved Topology in Quantum Materials

Titles & Abstracts

• Speaker: Dmitry Noshchenko
  Title: Knots, three-manifolds, and bridges
  Abstract: This presentation is a synopsis of my work which revolves around quantum topology of knots and links, supersymmetric gauge theories and the world of three-dimensional manifolds. Our studies build bridges between high energy physics and pure mathematics, by seeking new an unexpected connections. Our global aim is two-fold: on one side, establishing the proper mathematical framework for understanding a unifying theory of Nature. On the other side, enriching the mathematical realm by new ideas and constructions inspired by string theory.
• Speaker: Tony Dorlas
  Title: The evolution operator for the Feynman quantum computer Abstract: Together
  with two students, Ralph Costales and Ali Gunning, we investigated the evolution operator
  of the Feynman quantum computer. Previously, with Shane Dooley, Graham Kells and
  Hosho Katsura, we considered the adiabatic evolution and found an improved bound for
  the minimum gap, giving an estimate for the time to complete the computation. We have
  now found that the completion time for the straightforward evolution can be determined
  accurately. After repeated application of the algorithm, this leads to a much shorter time to
  obtain the result of the computation.
• Speaker: Atri Dey
  Title: Searching new physics at particle colliders
  Abstract: The standard model of particle physics is a well-established theory to explains all
  the fundamental phenomena of nature. Though it is well proved through a lot of experimental evidence, it has some shortcomings. One of these is Dark Matter which is a mystery for us.
  Physicists have been trying to detect it in experiments for the last several years. Various new
  physics models are proposed and people are trying to prove them by collider experiments
  like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Our work is dedicated to this direction where we are
  trying to propose new scenarios where we can incorporate dark matter via some new model
  of the universe, consisting of every theoretical and experimental observation so far. Along
  with that via some collider analysis, we are trying to propose new search strategies for future LHC searches.
• Speaker: Giandominico Palumbo
  Title: Spin-resolved Topology in Quantum Materials
  Abstract: Topological insulating (TI) phases were originally highlighted for their disorder robust bulk responses, such as the quantized Hall conductivity of 2D Chern insulators. With
  the discovery of time-reversal- (T-) invariant 2D TIs, focus has since shifted to boundary
  states as signatures of 2D and 3D TIs and topological crystalline insulators (TCIs). However,
  in T-invariant 3D TCIs such as bismuth, α-BiBr, and MoTe2 -termed higher-order TCIs
  (HOTIs)- the boundary signatures manifest as 1D hinge states, whose configurations are
  dependent on sample details, and bulk signatures remain unknown. In this talk, I will
  introduce nested spin-resolved Wilson loops and layer constructions as tools to characterize
  the bulk topological properties of spinful 3D insulators. I will show that helical HOTIs realize
  one of three spin-resolved phases with distinct responses that are quantitatively robust to
  large deformations of the bulk spin-orbital texture: 3D quantum spin Hall insulators, ”spin Weyl” semimetal states with gapless spin spectra, and T-doubled axion insulator states with
  nontrivial partial axion angles θ ± = π indicative of a 3D spin-magnetoelectric bulk response.