Claire Zukowski

Claire Zukowski is an Assistant Professor of theoretical physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, within the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. Her research program focuses on fundamental questions in quantum gravity, with particular expertise in holography, black holes, and cosmology. She is an affiliated member of the QuRIOS collaboration, which investigates observational consequences of quantum gravity theories.

Dr. Zukowski received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2015. Following her doctoral studies, she completed postdoctoral research appointments at Columbia University and the University of Amsterdam, where she further developed her expertise in theoretical physics and quantum gravity.

Her research interests center on quantum gravity, particularly exploring the AdS/CFT correspondence, de Sitter space holography, black hole information paradox, and connections between quantum information theory and gravity. Her work often examines how quantum gravitational effects might manifest in observable phenomena, with a particular focus on three-dimensional gravity models that serve as tractable theoretical laboratories. She has made significant contributions to understanding Wilson lines in quantum gravity, modular flow, and the geometric structures underlying holographic duality.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory of high-impact research in theoretical physics. Her recent work shows increasing focus on the intersection of quantum information and gravity, particularly exploring modular Berry phases, quantum extremal surfaces, and the island formalism for resolving the black hole information paradox. She frequently employs mathematical tools from conformal field theory, differential geometry, and topological field theory to address fundamental questions in quantum gravity. Her research demonstrates strong international collaboration, with co-authors from institutions worldwide including Amsterdam, Columbia, Cambridge, and Arizona State University.

Dr. Zukowski's research program represents a vital contribution to theoretical physics, particularly in advancing our understanding of quantum aspects of gravity and spacetime. Her work bridges mathematical physics with potential observational consequences, making her research relevant to both theoretical developments and potential future experimental tests of quantum gravity.