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Center

Open Quantum Universe

IGC apple Logo created by Monica Rincon Ramirez

The Universe is an open, out-of-equilibrium, quantum system, but the current theoretical frameworks for cosmology do not naturally accommodate these properties. The main goal of this focus initiative is to draw on the rapidly evolving OQS expertise in condensed matter and quantum information science[, building cross-disciplinary connections to address foundational questions in cosmology. The questions addressed by the Open Quantum Universe Focus Initiative range from necessary technical developments at the interface of OQS and cosmology, to long term puzzles on the origin of the Universe, its expansion, and the nature of horizons.

Objectives:

Treat the Universe as an Open Quantum System

Analyze Quantum Memory & Complexity (R1)

Develop Top-Down OQS Frameworks (R2)

Leverage Condensed Matter & Computational Analogs (R3)

Bridge OQS with Quantum Gravity (R4)

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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.