Quantum Gravity: Phenomenological and Theoretical Aspects

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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.