I am interested in emergent states in condensed matter and recently, in cognitive systems. The condensed matter emergent phases arise due to interactions between particles, mainly electrons, and give rise to surprising properties inconceivable from its constituents. Well known examples are magnetism and superconductivity. The focus of my research is Strongly Correlated Electron Systems in low dimensions, a very fertile area to find these new emergent properties. In Strongly Correlated Electron Systems the electron interaction dominates the motion of the electrons and it is necessary to go beyond the standard theory of metals (Fermi liquid theory) with well defined quasiparticles. Furthermore, in low dimensions quantum fluctuations are unavoidable. Due to this complex interplay between the strong interactions and quantum fluctuations, strongly correlated electron systems present rich phase diagrams that can include conventional phases such as BCS superconductivity and antiferromagnetism, and other exotic phases such as the nematic state, topological phases, Dirac matter and unconventional superconductivity. The characterization and the microscopic description of these phases is a field of intense debate in condensed matter theory.
In recent years the tools and concepts developed in Condensed Matter and adjacent fields, such as Statistical Physics and Information theory, are used to understand the emergent mental states in Cognitive Science from both the physiological perspective and from the subjective perspective. One of the biggest questions in cognitive science is how is possible to go from one to the other. I have been attracted to this line of research where the frontiers of different fields such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, physics, mathematics and artificial intelligence are starting to merge.
Here is my first work on perception of mental states and how can be used to address learning and unlearning of diverse mind-body syndromes.
Landau model to illustrate the process of learning and unlearning of nociplastic pain: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.07082