Quantum Gravity: Phenomenological and Theoretical Aspects

一个关于引力场的量子理论的成功公式，被称为量子引力（QG），仍然是理论物理学的首要挑战之一。宇宙学的相关领域也提出了一些关于宇宙起源、演化和命运的最基本的问题。虽然有各种有前途的量子力学理论（如超弦理论，环量子引力等），但据我们所知，还没有一个实验或观察清楚地支持或反驳任何理论。虽然这通常归因于普朗克能量尺度的巨大，以及直接获取普朗克能量尺度的相关困难，但我们相信，目前的实验精度以及在不久的将来，至少在一些基于实验室的实验中，可能能够检测到这样的实验特征。在2012-2017年期间，我想通过研究一系列量子系统和现象来详细研究这方面，这些系统和现象可能会显示出一些这些特征。正如各种量子力学理论所预测的那样，这些问题预计将来自对控制这些系统的量子哈密顿量的特定修正。没有任何可测量的特征也有助于预测各种QG参数的重要边界。

A successful formulation of a quantum theory of the gravitational field, known as Quantum Gravity (QG), remains as one of the foremost challenges of theoretical physics. The related area of cosmology also poses some of the most fundamental problems about the origin, evolution and fate of our universe. While there are various promising theories of QG (such as superstring theory, loop quantum gravity etc), there has not been a single experiment or observation to our knowledge which clearly supports or refutes any theory. Although this is normally attributed to the immensity of, and the related difficulty of directly accessing the Planck energy scale, we believe current experimental accuracies and those in the near future may be able to detect such experimental signatures in at least some laboratory based experiments. During 2012-2017, I would like to examine this aspect in detail, by studying a host of quantum systems and phenomena which may potentially show some of these signatures. These are expected to arise from specific corrections to quantum Hamiltonians governing these systems, as predicted by various theories of QG. Absence of any measurable signatures would also be useful in predicting important bounds on various QG parameters.