Atomic nuclei are fascinating quantum many-body systems, exhibiting a remarkable variety of phenomena, ranging from shell structure and collective motion to deformation and the emergence of exotic forms of matter. Understanding these phenomena in terms of the underlying interactions between protons and neutrons remains a central challenge in theoretical physics.
In recent years, significant progress has been made in ab initio nuclear theory, bringing increasingly complex nuclei within reach of first-principles calculations. By combining nuclear interactions derived from chiral effective field theory with systematically improvable many-body methods, it is possible to make quantitative predictions while maintaining control over theoretical uncertainties.
In this talk, I will present recent developments and applications of ab initio methods to heavy and neutron-rich nuclei, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of extending microscopic approaches into previously inaccessible regions of the nuclear landscape. Particular emphasis will be placed on deformed nuclei, where the interplay between microscopic interactions and collective degrees of freedom gives rise to a rich phenomenology. Finally, I will discuss how concepts from quantum information theory, in particular many-body entanglement, may provide new perspectives on the emergence and evolution of nuclear shell structure.
These developments not only advance our understanding of atomic nuclei but also offer a unique perspective on the emergence of complexity in interacting quantum systems.