Our research is mainly focused on theoretical aspects of High Energy Physics and Cosmology. The group includes the permant faculty members G. Athanasiou, E. Kiritsis, V. Niarchos, A. Porfyriadis, and the emeritus Professors N. Papanicolaou, N. Tsamis, as well as a number of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and short-term visitors.
The group has a highly interactive research culture with multiple weekly activities including seminars of international leading researchers of the field. It regularly organises and hosts conferences and workshops with researchers from around the world.
More detailed information can be found in the group's website: Crete Center for Theoretical Physics
THEMES
String and M-theory
String theory is a fascinating framework that incorporates naturally in a quantum mechanical setting all the known fundamental ingredients of our world. It is currently the most studied and well-established approach to quantum gravity. Some of the topics we are interested in are:
- The quantum physics of black holes and microstate counting in String Theory
- Quantum Field Theory and the dynamics of D-branes and M-branes
- Cosmological applications
- String phenomenology
Quantum Field Theory
We are mainly interested in the non-perturbative structure of QFTs. Some of our research directions include:
- Non-perturbative dualities
- Exact, analytic computations in supersymmetric gauge theories
- The conformal bootstrap programme
- Machine-Learning applications to strongly coupled QFTs
- Properties and dynamics of defects
Gravity, Black Holes and Cosmology
Our work targets both classical and quantum aspects of gravity with special emphasis to black hole physics and cosmology. Some of our interests include:
- The physics of astrophysical black holes and gravitational waves
- Gravitational solutions in AdS spacetimes and their applications to holography
- Extreme black holes
- Dark matter phenomenology
- IR quantum gravity and inflation
Holography and the AdS/CFT correspondence
Holography represents a fundamental paradigm shift in modern theoretical physics. While the first concrete realization of holography —the AdS/CFT correspondence— was discovered within String Theory, in recent years gauge/gravity dualities have found significant applications that range from quantum chromodynamics and beyond standard model particle physics to condensed matter and cold atoms. Our main interests in this direction include:
- AdS/CFT applications to QCD
- AdS/CFT applications to Condensed Matter physics
- Quantum Information
- Quantum mechanics and black hole physics
RELEVANT MODULES FOR STUDENTS
Relevant modules in the undergraduate and graduate curriculum include:
- Φ-301 Electromagnetism I
- Φ-302 Electromagnetism II
- Φ-303 Quantum Mechanics Ι
- Φ-305 Quantum Mechanics II
- Φ-311 Mathematics for Physics II
- Φ-324/Φ-533 General Relativity and Gravity
- Φ-422 Elementary Particles and Fundamental Forces
- Φ-425 Symmetries and Group Theory
- Φ-503 Advanced Quantum Mechanics
- Φ-511 Mathematical Methods for Physics
- Φ-604 Quantum Field Theory Ι
