Gauge Theories - from frustrated magnets to QCD

Gauge theories play a central role in the understanding of strongly interacting systems of nature. From quantum spin liquids in condensed matter physics to the quark gluon plasma in Quantum Chromodynamics, a description in terms of a gauge theory is crucial in the understanding of the physical properties of these strongly interacting systems. In this presentation, I will talk about addressing both static and dynamic aspects of such strongly correlated systems using the so-called quantum link models. While on one hand, the quantum link models facilitate the development of efficient algorithms, which enable the study of static properties on classical computers, on the other hand they are amenable to quantum simulation which will shed new light on the dynamics of these strongly interacting systems.