The objective of this four-week miniprogram is to develop and consolidate an emerging interaction between the study of quantum critical phenomena in condensed matter systems and the string theoretic AdS/CFT correspondence.

The AdS/CFT correspondence has lead to unanticipated applications of string theory methods to real world phenomena. Quantum critical systems are a very natural setting to search for such applications, as these systems involve strongly interacting, scale invariant theories. The AdS/CFT correspondence provides computationally tractable models of quantum critical theories.

A range of systems will be discussed, with a view towards identifying questions where AdS/CFT techniques can be usefully applied. Topics to be covered include quantum critical transport, superconductivity and quantum criticality, deconfined criticality, quantum hall physics, fermions at unitarity and entanglement entropy.

The schedule will include tutorial lectures on the AdS/CFT correspondence and on the physics of quantum criticality in various condensed matter systems. The miniprogram aims to bring together the string theory and condensed matter theory communities to develop an awareness of existing complementary techniques and problems and to foster the development of novel techniques and points of view on the physics of quantum criticality.