Quantum and Holographic Aspects of Spacetime Anisotropy

Abstract

Anisotropy of space time may be described in terms of a critical exponent that characteries how space and time may scale differently under a scaling transformation. Such scaling transformation is called a Lifshitz scale transformation. System that is invariant under a Lifshitz scaling transformation is called Lifshitz scale invariant. A prominent example is the critical liquid Helium.

The speaker will discuss the entropic properties of Lifshitz field theory (LFT), both from field theory and from holography. He will also present a new proposal for the holographic dual of boundary Lifshitz field theory (BLFT). Finally the speaker will discuss how anisotropy of space time affects quantum mechanics. In particular he will show how an anisotropic Josephson Junction may be enhanced in its working by the anisotropy of the insulating junction layer.

The talk is based on 2507.14996, 2409.06667, 2312.16284.


About the Speaker

Prof. CHU Chong-Sun received his BSc from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1991 and his PhD in Physics from UC Berkeley in 1996. He joined Durham University, UK in 2001. He served as a Professor until he left in 2012 and joined the Physics Department of the National Tsing Hua University.  He later took on the duty to direct the National Center of Theoretical Science from 2015 to 2020. He has held a Chair Professorship of Natural Science in the National Tsing Hua University since 2013.

Prof. Chu has been at the forefront of uncovering original physical properties of string and quantum field theory (QFT) and in illuminating their impacts in our understanding of the current problems in modern high energy physics. He has made essential contributions to the discovery and establishment of non-commutative geometry in string theory and QFT. Recently his research has focused on the quantum properties of black hole and noncommutative properties of quantum gravity.

Prof. Chu was an Advanced Fellow from EPSRC, UK from 2004 to 2009. He was elected a Fellow of the institute of Physics, UK in 2010 and a Fellow of the American Physics Society in 2022.


About the Center for Fundamental Physics

For more information, please refer to https://cfp.hkust.edu.hk/.


For Attendees' Attention

Seating is on a first come, first served basis.