Sal Pace

I am currently a 5th‐year physics PhD student at MIT, and will be starting a postdoc at IAS in Fall 2026.

I am a theoretical physicist studying the rules that govern large collections of quantum particles. When many particles come together, unexpected quantum phenomena and rich mathematical structures arise. My research aims to uncover and understand these emergent features.
More specifically, I am interested in quantum lattice models (QLMs), quantum field theories (QFTs), and condensed matter systems. I investigate research questions through an interdisciplinary lens, drawing on ideas from condensed matter theory, high‐energy theory, quantum information, and mathematics. A primary theme running through my current work is (generalized) symmetries and anomalies, which I apply to two closely related topics. The first is understanding the structural aspects of QLMs and QFTs, and how they relate to one another. This is a first step toward the larger goal of mapping out and comparing the vast landscapes of these two frameworks. The second is characterizing and classifying phases of quantum matter. This includes gapped phases—both within and beyond the framework of topological QFT—as well as gapless phases.

You can see my CV, here. It includes a list of my papers and invited talks with links to the slides and recordings, if available. You can also find all of my papers on Google Scholar, here.

• Lieb‐Schultz‐Mattis theorems from modulated symmetries
• New anomalies of quantum lattice models and their anomaly matching conditions
• Higher‐group symmetries in quantum lattice models
• Topological melting of quantum crystals and nematics
• The Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT)

More broadly, I have worked on/want to think more about:

• Topological phases of matter and topological quantum field theory.
• ’t Hooft anomalies, Lieb‐Schultz‐Mattis theorems, and their relations.
• Generalized symmetries and gauging in quantum lattice models.
• Family anomalies and generalized Thouless pumps in parametrized quantum systems.
• Foliated field theories, tensor gauge theories, and applications to elasticity and quantum melting.
• Quantum spin liquids and frustrated magnets.
• Applications of category and homotopy theory to physics.
• Applications of quantum information theory to quantum many‐body systems.