Complex quantum systems and the quantum universe

Objectives: We will deploy classic methods and invent new tools in the fields of information theory, computer science, geometry, quantum field theory, and string theory to study:1. Quantum information shared between many parties.2. Quantum complexity and its dynamical evolution in physical systems3. Open quantum systems that are entangled with unseen parties4. Quantum entanglement that is not organized by spatial position5. Black holes and the emergence of spacetime6. Quantum information and the structure of the cosmos7. Tractable models of quantum information and computing inspired by quantum gravityDescription: Quantum field theory and quantum gravity are fundamentally theories of information, a fact that has led to foundational new insights at the interface of high energy physics, quantum information, and quantum computing. The goal of this consortium is to combine expertise in high energy theory and quantum information science, to address the most pressing theoretical questions in these fields. We will build new tools for the study of entanglement in quantum field theories and quantum gravity, especially in cases in which field theory and gravity are equivalent (or dual) to each other. The consortium will study an interlocking set of fundamental questions (see Objectives above) that will drive the next wave of progress in both fields.Impact: We aim to make foundational advances in both Quantum Information Science (QIS) and High Energy Physics (HEP). In QIS, the consortium will seek to produce: (a) progress in characterizing the possible distributed patterns of entanglement between many parties that can be naturally induced by the dynamics of physical theories, and that will be robust to noise in quantum computation; (b) progress in understanding whether and when the dynamics of a physical system can be 'fast-forwarded' on a quantum computer, and what sorts of dynamics produce pseudo-random states that are relevant for problems like the black hole information paradox; (c) a classification and characterization of the kinds of novel open-system dynamics that can be driven by entanglement with other systems; and (d) new classes of tractable models that can be used as examples by theorists and/or simulated on quantum computers. In HEP, the consortium will study: (a) the emergence of spacetime from entanglement in holographic theories, and the use of entanglement to extract information from behind horizons; (b) the role of baby universes and spacetime wormholes in quantum gravity, especially with regard to whether they lead to large quantum effects that require the cosmos to be treated as a disordered statistical ensemble; and (c) non-spatially organized entanglement, e.g. in matrix theories, and the role of such entanglement in the holographic emergence of flat space.