Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory

<p>In this thesis, we analyse three different quantum systems via operator and path integral techniques: 'two-dimensional Causal-Dynamical-Triangulations (CDT) coupled to hard-dimers', 'scalar solitons' and `Quantum Random Walks (QRW) on the Cayley tree'.</p> &l...

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Main Author: Xavier, PD
Other Authors: Wheater, J
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
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author Xavier, PD
author2 Wheater, J
author_facet Wheater, J
Xavier, PD
author_sort Xavier, PD
collection OXFORD
description <p>In this thesis, we analyse three different quantum systems via operator and path integral techniques: 'two-dimensional Causal-Dynamical-Triangulations (CDT) coupled to hard-dimers', 'scalar solitons' and `Quantum Random Walks (QRW) on the Cayley tree'.</p> <p>In our first project, we extend previous work on CDT coupled to hard dimers -- which is a discretized model of two-dimensional quantum gravity coupled to matter -- and solve this model exactly with all dimer types present subject to a single restriction. We find that, depending on the dimer fugacities, there are, in addition to the usual gravity phase of CDT, two tri-critical and two dense-dimer phases. We establish the properties of these phases, computing their cylinder and disk amplitudes, their scaling limits and their associated continuum Hamiltonians.</p> <p>In our second project, we investigate scalar solitons in the framework of quantum field theory. We construct general soliton creation operators and compare these with like operators found by Mandelstam in the sine-Gordon model. We find evidence for the fact that the sine-Gordon soliton is the Thirring fermion only at coupling β2 = 4π. We then go on to compute the first quantum corrections to the radius of the kink in the ϕ4 model in two dimensions.</p> <p>In our third project, we analyse QRWs on the Cayley tree via the generating function method and derive a set of polynomial equations which determine this model exactly. We establish properties of the spectrum of the time-evolution operator U and solve the `perturbed' eigenvalue equation in U.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:628d8820-c0a5-4fc1-8118-a0a5217ef1972022-06-23T13:00:23ZTopics in quantum gravity and quantum field theoryThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:628d8820-c0a5-4fc1-8118-a0a5217ef197Quantum field theoryQuantum gravityEnglishHyrax Deposit2021Xavier, PDWheater, JStarinets, AJohnston, D<p>In this thesis, we analyse three different quantum systems via operator and path integral techniques: 'two-dimensional Causal-Dynamical-Triangulations (CDT) coupled to hard-dimers', 'scalar solitons' and `Quantum Random Walks (QRW) on the Cayley tree'.</p> <p>In our first project, we extend previous work on CDT coupled to hard dimers -- which is a discretized model of two-dimensional quantum gravity coupled to matter -- and solve this model exactly with all dimer types present subject to a single restriction. We find that, depending on the dimer fugacities, there are, in addition to the usual gravity phase of CDT, two tri-critical and two dense-dimer phases. We establish the properties of these phases, computing their cylinder and disk amplitudes, their scaling limits and their associated continuum Hamiltonians.</p> <p>In our second project, we investigate scalar solitons in the framework of quantum field theory. We construct general soliton creation operators and compare these with like operators found by Mandelstam in the sine-Gordon model. We find evidence for the fact that the sine-Gordon soliton is the Thirring fermion only at coupling β2 = 4π. We then go on to compute the first quantum corrections to the radius of the kink in the ϕ4 model in two dimensions.</p> <p>In our third project, we analyse QRWs on the Cayley tree via the generating function method and derive a set of polynomial equations which determine this model exactly. We establish properties of the spectrum of the time-evolution operator U and solve the `perturbed' eigenvalue equation in U.</p>
spellingShingle Quantum field theory
Quantum gravity
Xavier, PD
Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title_full Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title_fullStr Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title_full_unstemmed Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title_short Topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
title_sort topics in quantum gravity and quantum field theory
topic Quantum field theory
Quantum gravity
work_keys_str_mv AT xavierpd topicsinquantumgravityandquantumfieldtheory