Chiral matter: From quark gluon plasma to topological semimetals
The hot quark-gluon plasma, produced by heavy-ion collisions (or "Little Bangs"), is one of the most exotic states of matter. Not only is it the hottest but also the most vortical, the most magnetized, and the most ideal fluid created by humans in a laboratory. In addition, the quark-gluon plasma can reveal unusual macroscopic realizations of the chiral quantum anomaly. In this talk, I will discuss the physics and observable implications of the anomalous properties of the quark-gluon plasma, including the Chiral Separation Effect, the Chiral Magnetic Effect, and the Chiral Magnetic Wave. I will also argue that the Dirac and Weyl semimetals can host the same fundamental phenomena. They not only provide an excellent testbed for studying the anomalous properties of chiral matter but also hold great potential for technological applications.