The holographic correspondence has provided an unprecedented analytic tool to study strongly coupled Quantum Field Theories. The main motivation of my research is to exploit the vast potential of the holographic correspondence in order to develop new insights into the properties of strongly-coupled systems observed in nature. These include a variety of condensed-matter systems but also systems whose dynamics is controlled by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at low energy.

The properties of dense strongly-coupled QCD matter are notoriously difficult to predict. The numerical lattice QCD calculations have made possible a huge progress in our understanding of QCD at low baryon densities. However, because of the sign problem, they are unable to reach high baryon densities. Also, the Chiral Effective Theory gives a good description of QCD matter below the nuclear saturation density, but loses accuracy beyond that point because of the lack of precise experimental data. This state of things motivates me to use holography in order to study QCD at high densities. In particular, the main target of my current research is the dense QCD matter which fills the core of Neutron Stars.

The densities in Neutron Stars can be as high as several times the nuclear saturation density, that is conditions more extreme than any experiment that has been realized on Earth up to now. Because of this, Neutron Stars are often said to be space laboratories, allowing to probe the properties of QCD matter at very high density. Concretely, several measurements (Neutron Star masses and radii, tidal deformability measured in a Neutron Star merger) have already started putting constraints on the properties of dense QCD matter.
The way my research with the holographic method fits into the picture is via two aspects. On the one hand, holography provides an intuitive (gravitational) picture of the strongly coupled matter, which may help our understanding of its dynamics. On the other hand, it appears as an efficient and consistent way of building a phenomenological model of Neutron Star matter that takes into account experimental constraints.

My recent research has been organized around two general programs related to the investigation
of Neutron Star physics in holographic QCD :

• Baryonic physics in holographic QCD
• Neutrino transport in holography