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Quantum Universe

Quantum Universe

All physical systems obey the laws of quantum mechanics, but we have not yet achieved a full understanding of the relationship between quantum mechanics, general relativity, and cosmology. The primordial universe and black holes are two arenas to study these questions in ways that are complementary to research on laboratory quantum systems and quantum information.

Name Role Affiliations Email Phone Office Centers Research topics
Eugenio Bianchi Eugenio Bianchi Faculty Physics exb34@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 315 Whitmore Laboratory CFT Black Holes, Loop Quantum Gravity, Mathematical Structures, Quantum Universe
Šárka Blahnik Šárka Blahnik Graduate Student Physics seb6087@psu.edu 321F Whitmore Laboratory CFT Quantum Universe
Martin Bojowald Martin Bojowald Faculty Physics mob6@psu.edu +1 814 865 3502 304A Whitmore Laboratory CFT Loop Quantum Gravity, Mathematical Structures, Quantum Universe
Tommy Chin Tommy Chin Graduate Student Physics wjc5509@psu.edu 6692331822 301D Whitmore Laboratory CFT, CTOC, IGC Quantum Universe, Dynamic Universe
Aurora Colter Aurora Colter Undergraduate Student Math, Physics agc5654@psu.edu CFT, IGC Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Loop Quantum Gravity, Physical Mathematics, Quantum Universe
Mauricio Gamonal Mauricio Gamonal Graduate Student Physics mfg5767@psu.edu 322 Whitmore Laboratory CFT Loop Quantum Gravity, Mathematical Structures, Quantum Universe
Rishabh Kumar Rishabh Kumar Graduate Student Physics rishabh.kumar@psu.edu 321-A Whitmore Laboratory CFT Quantum Universe
Erick Muiño García Erick Muiño García Graduate Student Physics erickmuino@psu.edu 321A Whitmore Laboratory CFT Quantum Universe
Daniel Paraizo Daniel Paraizo Graduate Student Physics dep5397@psu.edu 317 Whitmore Laboratory CFT, IGC Black Holes, Loop Quantum Gravity, Quantum Universe
Hamza Patwa Hamza Patwa Graduate Student Physics hfp5246@psu.edu 2109519804 N/A Thomas Building IGC Black Holes, Mathematical Structures, Physical Mathematics, Quantum Universe
Monica Rincon Ramirez Monica Rincon Ramirez Staff Physics mxr463@psu.edu 307 Whitmore Laboratory CFT, CTOC Black Holes, Loop Quantum Gravity, Physical Mathematics, Quantum Universe
Sarah Shandera Sarah Shandera Faculty Physics ses47@psu.edu +1 814 863 9595 303A Whitmore Laboratory CFT Black Holes, Cosmic Surveys, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves, Quantum Universe
Jonathan Shu Jonathan Shu Graduate Student Physics jds7269@psu.edu Osmond Laboratory CFT Black Holes, Mathematical Structures, Quantum Universe
Name Role Affiliations Email Phone Office Centers Research topics
Sean Prudhoe Sean Prudhoe Faculty Physics stp5134@psu.edu 321 F Whitmore Laboratory CTOC Quantum Universe

IGC projects about Quantum Universe

Complex Systems and the Quantum Universe
2021–2024 · DOE
Complex Systems and the Quantum Universe
PI: Sarah Shandera
About our wordmark
Monica Rincon Ramirez

The IGC wordmark was created by Monica Rincon Ramirez while she was a graduate student at the Institute. Monica enjoys drawing new connections between fundamental theory and observations. Her graduate work included general relativity, loop quantum gravity, and quantum fields in cosmological backgrounds; her thesis focused on effective quantum corrections to gravitational phenomena from spinfoams and applications to cosmology. She received her PhD in 2024.

The wordmark symbolizes the scope of research at the IGC. The base represents quantum gravity, evoking the quantum geometrical picture from spinfoams and loop quantum gravity — approaches studied at the Center for Fundamental Theory. The middle shows galaxies embedded in a smooth surface characteristic of spacetime in general relativity and the larger physical scales studied at the Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology. The top curves to an extreme representing a supermassive black hole accompanied by an energetic jet, with a binary black hole pair nearby — the high-energy phenomena studied at the Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics.