Research Areas

We theoretically study the most puzzling challenges posed to us by the Universe. Our goal is to understand the observed astrophysical phenomena using the known laws of physics. We focus on problems that seem solvable as incredibly high quality observations are available today.

The topics studied include cosmic explosions, gravitational waves, high-energy and particle astrophysics.

We combine experiment and theory to study the relations between local and  global properties in physical and biological systems. Large systems, be they physical or biological, often exhibit emergent properties that arise from the interactions between their constituent parts. A main difference is that biological systems have a large-scale goal while the collective properties of physical systems are the indifferent consequence of local interactions. This difference results in the different languages that are used to describe emergent properties in animate and inanimate systems. In soft-matter physics we use the language of geometry and geometrical frustration coupled with a deep mathematical description of organization in matter. Structures in liquid and organic crystals, as well as in viscoelastic material yield insight on the underlying physical processes and mechanisms. In biological physics we use the language of regulation, synchronization, problem solving and decision making to study such diverse systems as ants, single cells, single molecules, groups of cells, and even groups of people.

We probe and investigate quantum condensed matter in a variety of electronic systems and materials using various experimental tools. The main topics investigated include correlated and topological matter, twistronics and exotic superconducting states. For their investigation we combine cutting edge fabrication in a dedicated clean room facility and quantum material synthesis lab, magneto-transport experiments and a cohort of complementary scanning probe microscopes.

Atomic, molecular, and optical research at the faculty ranges from atto-second pulses and intense lasers, through precision spectroscopy of ultracold atoms, molecules or ions, to implementations in quantum information and quantum optics.

At the smallest distances (highest energies) explored so far, Nature is described by quantum field theory: a unified framework combining special relativity and quantum mechanics. This  framework explains all of the known particles of matter as excitations of quantum fields. We study questions at the forefront of this theory, including: how does general relativity (the theory of gravity) fit into quantum mechanics? How can we understand the dynamics of quantum field theory across different scales and systems? What are the fundamental parameters of Nature? How can we understand different patterns in these parameters, and can they provide clues for an even more fundamental theory? Our different groups address questions in mathematical physics, where progress often relies on pure formal reasoning; as well as phenomenological questions anchored in accelerator data [from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other terrestrial experiments] and in cosmological and astrophysical data. Our research lies at the heart of all other areas of physics, and we interact and collaborate with other groups in experimental particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology; condensed matter physics; and mathematics.