Iván Agulló, a physicist trained at the University of Valencia and a professor at Louisiana State University, will develop a program at IFIC focused on the intersection of quantum information, quantum field theory, and gravitation. His work spans fundamental questions about the nature of the universe and technological applications in quantum communication and information processing.
Agulló, who earned his PhD in Physics from the UV in 2009, has built a significant part of his scientific career at international institutions, including postdoctoral stays in the United States and a Marie Curie fellowship in the United Kingdom. Since 2013, he has been a professor at Louisiana State University and a visiting researcher at the Perimeter Institute. 'The UV today brings together a notable critical mass in quantum science and technologies and a network of European collaborators, making it the natural place to develop my research,' Agulló states.
His research areas include relativistic and non-relativistic quantum information, quantum field theory in curved spacetimes, analogous gravity, quantum cosmology, black hole physics, and the study of quantum gravity effects through gravitational waves. He has also worked on distributing quantum entanglement for secure clock synchronization, with potential applications in navigation, telecommunications, and metrology.
Meanwhile, Jorge Peñarrubia, a theoretical astrophysicist specializing in the dynamics of gravitational systems and the study of dark matter, will focus his research on analyzing its gravitational effects on stars, galaxies, and other structures to search for signals of invisible structures and better understand its nature and distribution.
A PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Heidelberg, Peñarrubia has developed his career at institutions such as the University of Victoria (Canada) and the British universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh. His incorporation enhances IFIC's capabilities in theoretical astrophysics and gravitational dynamics, complementing the center's research on fundamental particles and the universe.
Both incorporations are part of the second edition of the ValER program, an initiative by the Valencian Community Foundation for Excellence Research that offers eight permanent positions to senior researchers with international careers. The program aims to attract scientific talent and facilitate the development of independent research lines, providing each position with an initial endowment of 150,000 euros.
