Title:  A pedagogical introduction to anomalies in conformal quantum mechanics and some potential applications in cold-atom and graphene systems

Speaker: Carlos Ordonez (UH)

Abstract: The breaking of a classical symmetry at the quantum level as a consequence of the quantization procedure is known as an anomaly (quantum). Anomalies in quantum field theory (chiral, gauge) have a long history and their impact in particle and gravitational physics (including strings) is well known.  Anomalies in quantum mechanics (non-relativistic systems) also exist, although they are not as well-known.  I will describe how these anomalies arise in systems described by conformal quantum mechanics (CQM), following the work of my group at UH. I will also mention some recent applications to cold atoms and possible applications to graphene physics.  The latter is very recent.  The first half of the talk will be dedicated to showing in detail how the anomalies arise in the concrete case of a two-dimensional delta function potential. There rest of the talk will emphasize the (possible) applications.  The emphasis of the talk will be on the conceptual aspects and it will be pedagogical in nature. My hope is that people in the audience (from high-energy, condensed-matter and AMO-physics backgrounds) will find this topic interesting and of potential use in their research.