Research Interests

• Theoretical Particle Physics 
• Theoretical Gravitational Physics 
• Condensed Matter Theory
  

Sean Hartnoll is a theoretical physicist with broad interests; he has written papers in general relativity, string theory, field theory, and condensed matter theory.  He is a leader in a very active field of theoretical research that grew out of string theory:  the application of holographic duality to condensed matter systems.  Hartnoll is widely viewed as one of the pioneers in this rapidly evolving field, and interacts extensively with both string theory and condensed matter physicists. He also has a longstanding interest in using holographic duality to address issues in quantum gravity such as the emergence of spacetime.

Hartnoll completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Cambridge.  He received his PhD from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics in 2005.  He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, and most recently held a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

News

• 2011 Sloan Fellowship