Workshop 2: CFT, topology, and information
2-4 November 2011
[Click here to download the Workshop 2 poster]
Background
For the past fifty years we have classified states of matter by their broken
symmetries. This so-called Landau paradigm identifies phases by their local
order parameters: for example, describing a ferromagnet in terms of its
local magnetization, or a superfluid in terms of its local quantum phase-order
parameter.
However, in the last few years it has become clear that there are
condensed matter systems which have so-called topological order which is
beyond this classic Landau description. These systems are instead sensitive to
topology: the topology of the manifold that they live on, and the topology
space-time knots formed by the motion of their excitations. Rather remarkably
the deep mathematical structure of these topological states of matter is well
described by conformal field theories and their related topological quantum field
theories.
The main purpose of this component of the workshop is to study this connection
in the context of condensed matter systems. Major subjects of interest will
be quantum Hall states and topological lattice models.
Other topics will include anyons and topological quantum computers, as well as
information theoretical aspects.
Confirmed participants for theme 2
Physicists: E. Ardonne, P. Fendley, N. Read, K. Schoutens,
G. Sierra, S. Simon
Mathematicians: F. Costantino, L. Funar
Lectures
E. Ardonne: Interacting anyons
L. Funar: Introduction to topological quantum field theory
N. Read: The fractional quantum Hall effect
Workshop programme
[Click here to download the Workshop 2 schedule]