NASIR YOUSUFI
SRINAGAR, JUNE 6: In a significant breakthrough for theoretical physics from Jammu and Kashmir, local researchers have published a landmark study that bridges the gap between deep-space black holes and next-generation quantum materials, a handout said.
The research, co-authored by Nazir A. Ganaie—Assistant Professor in the J&K Higher Education Department (currently posted at Govt. College of Education, IASE, Srinagar) and a PhD researcher at NIT Srinagar—and Prof. M. A. Shah of the Department of Physics, NIT Srinagar, has been published in the prestigious international journal EPL (Europhysics Letters).
Their paper, titled “Graphene plasmon damping from BTZ quasinormal modes in AdS/CFT,” utilizes advanced holographic physics to provide experimentally testable predictions for how energy dissipates in graphene.
The handout said that: The study connects two radically different scales of nature. On one hand are black holes—massive cosmic objects whose immense gravity warps the fabric of spacetime. On the other is graphene—a single layer of carbon atoms praised as a 21st-century wonder material for its exceptional quantum and electronic properties.
Using the celebrated AdS/CFT correspondence (a theoretical framework that connects gravitational physics to quantum mechanics), the duo demonstrated that the mathematical structures describing black holes can be used to illuminate the behavior of collective quantum excitations, known as plasmons, in graphene.
The researchers focused on the “quasinormal modes” of a BTZ black hole—essentially the characteristic “ringing” frequencies a black hole emits as it settles after a disturbance. Remarkably, the study proves that this same mathematical framework translates directly into predictions for how electronic waves lose energy within confined graphene channels.
A central breakthrough of the paper is the prediction of a distinct scaling law: the plasmon linewidth varies as the square root of temperature and wave vector. This provides a clear, measurable signature that can be tested in:
Near-field spectroscopy experiments,
Terahertz transport platforms,
Future on-chip plasmonic technologies
This work highlights a growing global trend in contemporary physics: the unexpected convergence of gravity, quantum information, and condensed matter physics to solve real-world problems in quantum materials.
Reflecting on the achievement, Nazir A. Ganaie said: “This work is an attempt to bring together two frontier languages of physics: black-hole quasinormal modes and measurable collective excitations in graphene. I am deeply happy that this research has emerged from NIT Srinagar and that it helps place Kashmir within the global conversation on holographic physics and quantum materials.”
By connecting fundamental cosmic dynamics with practical quantum technologies, the study marks a major contribution from Jammu and Kashmir to the international scientific community, opening new avenues for next-generation technological innovation.