Physics (Internal)

Tight-binding models in biology: from photonic structures to neural networks

This event is part of the Biophysics/Condensed Matter Seminar Series.

Anderson localization has been extensively studied over the last decades, with the vast majority of analysis done on Hermitian matrices. Neuroscience, ecology and other biological systems are noteworthy cases where random, non-Hermitian matrices will naturally arise. The localization properties of these systems are strongly related to their dynamics. Here, I will discuss a particular non-Hermitian model with spatial structure, finding surprisingly rich behavior. Time permitting, I will also show that similar tight-binding models can shed light on our understanding of natural photonic structures.