Our research group primarily focuses on Quantum Information and its connections with Thermodynamics, Relativity (both special and general), and Quantum Mechanics. While we are a theoretical group, we also have a strong interest in experimental physics, particularly in quantum optics and nuclear magnetic resonance. Below, we outline some of the areas we explore and provide our complete list of publications.
Quantum Information.
Quantum information Science emerged around 30 years ago, driven by the potential to enhance information processing capabilities through the principles of quantum mechanics. It extends Shannon's information theory into the quantum realm. Early on, it became clear that advances in this field could provide valuable insights into a wide range of problems.
Quantum information is a theoretical framework designed to explore how the laws of quantum mechanics can be employed to improve the acquisition, transmission, and processing of information. These developments have introduced new concepts and technical tools that are broadly applicable across various areas of physics, including condensed matter, quantum computation, and high-energy physics, to name a few. Furthermore, conceptual breakthroughs are driving the emergence of a new technological era, one rooted in the quantum properties of matter, with the potential to significantly impact our daily lives.
Our focus lies in the foundation of this theory, especially information geometry, which applies the tools of differential geometry to study quantum information. While our primary research focuses on the application of quantum information to physics, we also explore foundational problems within the theory. Specific areas of interest include the development of quantum communication protocols, quantum algorithms, and quantum computation.
Quantum Thermodynamics.
Thermodynamics rests in the foundation of physics, and its development has led to immense social and technological advancements that are difficult to fully quantify. quantum thermodynamics is a theoretical framework aimed at addressing questions such as how thermodynamic phenomena emerge from the reversible laws of quantum mechanics. How can we extend, and to what extent, the laws of macroscopic thermodynamics to the quantum realm? Is it possible to apply thermodynamics to small, out-of-equilibrium quantum systems? It appears that quantum information holds the key to answering these profound questions.
Recently, there has been a surge of interest in this field from both theorists and experimentalists. The application of thermodynamics in the presence of quantum effects —such as entanglement, correlations, and quantum fluctuations— is reshaping our understanding of the foundational principles of these theories. Furthermore, it has become evident that developing a consistent formalism for quantum thermodynamics is crucial for advancing future quantum technologies. his is one of the main interests of our group. However, we also focus on applying and understanding thermodynamics in various fields, such as critical and relativistic systems.
Relativity.
General relativity describes gravity as a four-dimensional geometric structure known as space-time, where the concepts of absolute space and time no longer apply. Gravity, in this framework, is a geometric consequence of the curvature of space-time shaped by mass and energy. Many of its theoretical predictions have been experimentally validated over the past decades. However, understanding general relativity at length scales where quantum effects become significant remains a challenge that requires both theoretical and experimental advancements. Unraveling the impact of gravitational interactions on the quantum aspects of matter could lead us into a new technological era, utilizing quantum properties like entanglement and coherence on a global scale. In this regard, quantum field theory in curved spaces provides the most effective theoretical framework for predicting physical phenomena at the intersection of quantum mechanics and relativity. This is one of the focus of our group.
Quantum information theory and general relativity are not entirely separate fields. Concepts from both quantum information theory and quantum field theory have made significant contributions to our understanding of space-time at the quantum level. A large body of research has emerged, focusing on the properties of quantum systems in various relativistic contexts. These include topics such as entanglement in non-inertial reference frames, information processing in black holes, entanglement in expanding universes, and the sensitivity of quantum correlations to space-time topology, among many others.
We are interested in exploring quantum systems influenced by relativistic effects from the perspective of information theory and thermodynamics. How can we describe quantum systems under relativistic effects? How are quantum correlations affected by relativity? What about relativistic uncertainty relations and particle localization? Additionally, we are also focused on formulating general relativity in terms of information, a field that has been garnering significant attention recently. Also, the formulation of thermodynamics in this context is among our goals.