Dynamical Instabilities in Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime: lessons drawn from Analogue Gravity
IFPU
22-26 September 2025
Analogue gravity is a research programme aiming at studying open questions in quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spacetime with condensed matter systems. Initially developed with the aim of attacking problems related to amplification of field fluctuations by the Hawking effect in the context of black holes, the field has grown to encompass other QFT phenomena occurring when the spacetime curvature changes in time and or space. In the past 10 years, a number of experiments have increased the power of the analogy via the observation of the Hawking effect, rotational superradiance, light-ring oscillations, the Hubble friction and the resulting emission of cosmological particles, pre-heating phenomenology or the decay of false vacuua. Building on these proofs of principle, a new generation of experiments is now rising to explore nonlinear coupling between field excitations, entanglement or the Unruh effect to name only a few examples. The Focus Week will explore precisely the first of these topics: the nonlinear coupling of field excitations is tied with dynamical instabilities, thermalisation and possible universal scaling laws. All these concepts are investigated theoretically in the relativistic context, for example in the black hole bomb or in pre-heating models. But they also permeate condensed matter theory and naturally arise in experiments (eg as Faraday instabilities in fluids), so we want to work out how table-top experiments and their effective field theory description can help gain knowledge on open questions in QFT in curved spacetime, from phenomenology to theory. The idea is to have senior PhD students and junior postdocs present their experimental methods and results to enter in discussions with senior theorists who would contribute their expertise in open questions in QFT in curved spacetime and condensed matter. This conversation across fields has been at the heart of the analogue gravity programme and we hope that, by fostering inter-generational dialogue, new ideas will blossom to guide the development of experiments testing outstanding questions in QFT in curved spacetime.
Meeting program:
Organisers:
- Maxime Jacquet (Laboratoire Kastler Brossel)
- Stefano Liberati (SISSA)
Participants:
- TBA