Demystifying the Holographic Mystique

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the application of holographic correspondence from string theory to understanding complex metallic states in condensed matter physics, highlighting its potential and limitations after extensive research.

Contribution

It provides a systematic assessment of the current status and validity of holographic methods in describing strange metallic states, clarifying when and how these approaches may be effective.

Findings

Holographic models offer promising insights but have limitations in certain regimes.

The validity of holographic predictions remains uncertain and context-dependent.

Further research is needed to establish the precise conditions for holographic applicability.

Abstract

Thus far, in spite of many interesting developments, the overall progress towards a systematic study and classification of various 'strange' metallic states of matter has been rather limited. To that end, it was argued that a recent proliferation of the ideas of holographic correspondence originating from string theory might offer a possible way out of the stalemate. However, after almost a decade of intensive studies into the proposed extensions of the holographic conjecture to a variety of condensed matter problems, the validity of this intriguing approach remains largely unknown. This discussion aims at ascertaining its true status and elucidating the conditions under which some of its predictions may indeed be right (albeit, possibly, for a wrong reason).