Central theory of quantum gravity is modeled in the laboratory

Gravity keeps our feet on the ground and the planets in orbit, but when it comes to the tiniest particles, things get a bit fuzzy. Physicists have long grappled with understanding how gravity works at the quantum level.

Johanna Erdmenger, a professor of theoretical physics, is tackling this challenge head-on.

“To explain the Big Bang or the interior of black holes, we have to understand the quantum properties of gravity,” she says.

At very high energies, the classical laws we’re familiar with start to break down.

“Our goal is to contribute to the development of new theories that can explain gravity at all scales, including at the quantum level,” Erdmenger explains.

Connecting the dots

Working with her team at the University of Würzburg in Germany, Erdmenger is exploring a theory called the AdS/CFT correspondence.

This theory suggests that complex gravitational ideas in a higher-dimensional space can be understood through simpler quantum theories on the boundary of that space.

AdS stands for Anti-de-Sitter, a type of spacetime that’s curved inward, much like a funnel. CFT refers to conformal field theory, which deals with quantum systems that look the same at all scales.

Breaking down quantum gravity into math

“This sounds very complicated at first, but it’s easy to explain,” says Erdmenger.

She notes that the AdS/CFT correspondence helps us understand complex gravitational processes in the quantum world using simpler mathematical models.

“At its heart is a curved spacetime, which can be thought of as a funnel,” she adds.

The correspondence suggests that the quantum dynamics at the edge of this funnel match the more complex dynamics inside, much like how a hologram on a banknote creates a three-dimensional image from a two-dimensional surface.

An electric circuit mimicking spacetime

Erdmenger and her team have come up with a way to test the AdS/CFT correspondence experimentally. They’ve designed a branched electrical circuit that mimics curved spacetime.

In this setup, the electrical signals at different points in the circuit correspond to gravitational dynamics at various points in spacetime.

Their theoretical calculations indicate that in this circuit, the dynamics at the edge match those inside, aligning with a key prediction of the AdS/CFT correspondence.

This work has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

The team plans to bring this experimental setup to life. Not only could this advance our understanding of gravity, but it might also lead to new technological breakthroughs.

“Our circuits also open up new technological applications. Based on quantum technology, they are expected to transmit electrical signals with reduced loss, since the simulated curvature of space bundles and stabilizes the signals,” Erdmenger explains.

“This would be a breakthrough for signal transmission in neural networks used for artificial intelligence, for example.”

Why does quantum gravity matter?

Understanding gravity at the quantum level isn’t just an academic exercise. It has implications for how we comprehend the universe’s origins and the fundamental laws that govern everything.

Imagine the potential advancements in technology and science if we could unify the laws of the very big with the very small. It’s like finding the missing piece of a giant puzzle that has stumped scientists for decades.

This research not only pushes the boundaries of physics but also inspires future scientists. Questions like “How does the universe really work?” and “What happens inside a black hole?” ignite curiosity.

If Erdmenger’s work succeeds, it could open doors to new fields of study and innovation. Who knows what young mind might take this foundation and build the next big discovery?

To sum it all up, the journey to understand gravity at all scales is a challenging one, but with innovative approaches like those of Professor Erdmenger and her team, we’re taking meaningful steps forward.

As we continue to explore these fundamental questions, each discovery brings us closer to a more complete picture of the universe, and a unified theory of physics.

The full study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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