David Maibach


Theoretical Physicist

Research Interests

Beneath every complex system lays a mathematical structure that awaits to be discovered. I strongly believe that understanding and creatively reassembling these structures builds the foundation of new physical discoveries. To me, theoretical physics epitomizes the craft imbuing one's creative endeavors with the meticulous discipline of mathematics.

Me, myself and I

Hi there! I am a PhD student at the University of Heidelberg and was formally affiliated to ETH Zurich (where I still like to spend some time with collaborators).
I work on a wide range of topics in theoretical physics, mostly (but not exclusively) related to Gravitational Waves and Asymptotic Spacetimes. The overarching goal is to obtain a deeper understanding of the intricate theory of gravity and its interpretation in the realm of quantum physics. Before that, I searched for Cosmic Strings in the universe to learn about the physics going on at the very early stages cosmos. Besides my PhD, I am working on ways to explore Dark Matter using cold atoms and other condensed matter systems.


While wondering about the intricacies of spacetime, I often get distracted by exciting topics in other branches of science. In particular, I am almost equally fascinated by biology, in particular micro- and evolutionary biology. I strongly believe that, particularly engineering-wise, we can learn a lot from nature. Other branches of my interest include psychology and philosophy.
I enjoy coding a lot, which also enables me to actively work on my own applications and websites. Currently, I am developing a fact-app that helps to stimulate the brain during procrastination. Naturally, coding turned out to be advantageous for my PhD as well. Besides coding, studying and PhD-ing, I am trying to learn how to play the piano and a currently studying Spanish, pero estoy luchando para encontrar el tiempo para trabajar en todo lo que quiero.
When I am not in the office, there is usually a good reason to it: I spend most of my salary escaping to locations that either have good food or amazing surf spots. Naturally, the rest of my money is invest in surfboards. Since central Germany is not particularly well-known for its swell and clean beaches, I am trying to stay in shape with a surf-skate and other sports. If I am not in the line-up (or thinking about it), I literally hang out with friends in the bouldering hall or at a nice Italian restaurant.

Contact me

Main Address (currently)

Philosophenweg 12
69120 Heidelberg, Germany
2nd floor

Phone (Institute)

+49 6221 549207

Email

maibach[at]thphys.uni-heidelberg.de