Show notes
What makes high-temperature superconductors and “strange metals” some of the most perplexing systems in modern physics?In this episode, we speak with Dr. Subir Sachdev: Harvard physicist and one of the leading architects of today’s understanding of quantum matter. Sachdev explains why strange metals refuse to behave like ordinary conductors, how quantum entanglement reshapes the landscape of many-body physics, and why the quest to understand cuprate superconductors continues to push both theory and experiment to their limits.We explore the physics of the cuprate phase diagram, the collapse of quasiparticles, and the role of quantum criticality in creating universal, linear-in-temperature behavior. Sachdev walks us through the origins of the SYK model, its surprising connections to black-hole thermodynamics and holography, and how new lattice-based models may finally bridge the gap between solvable theory and real materials.Whether you’re curious about superconductivity, quantum criticality, black-hole analogies, emergent gauge fields, or the deep physics behind strongly correlated electrons, this conversation offers a rare, accessible look at how frontier theoretical work is redefining our picture of quantum matter—from the lab bench to the edge of spacetime.Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists:Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/Follow our hosts!Mikhail Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginovMichael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovskyXinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYinSubscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6ORWebsite: https://www.632nm.comTimestamps:01:22 - Subir’s Path to Condensed Matter Physics06:24 - Challenges in Discovering Cuprates09:53 - History of Superconductivity20:07 - Subir's PhD work27:09 - Development of the SYK model41:09 - Strange Metals56:43 - Derivation of SYK Model1:03:53 - Signatures of Strange Metals1:09:58 - How Quantum Mechanics Affects Black Holes1:17:10 - What Brought Subir to Black Holes?1:19:43 - Black Hole Connections to SYK1:29:28 - ADS CFT Correspondence1:37:04 - Can Quantum Computers Help Advance the SYK Model?1:40:17 - Is AI Useful for Theoretical Physics?1:46:40 - How does Quantum Criticality Play into Superconductivity?1:49:11 - Derivation Quantum Criticality1:52:49 - What is Holography?1:55:07 - Holography2:00:19 - Green’s Function2:08:46 - Green’s equation slides2:13:23 - Yukawa Model vs SYK2:17:30 - Can AI Brute Force Physics Discoveries?2:23:51 - What Would Subir Do With Unlimited Funding?2:36:33 - Dissecting the Hype of Superconductivity2:31:15 - Raising the Next Generation of Great Physicists#theoreticalphysics #quantummaterials #astrophysics #superconductivity #superconductor #blackhole #quantumphysics #quantummechanics