On de Sitter Spacetime and String Theory

Abstract: We review various aspects of de Sitter spacetime in string theory: its status as an effective field theory spacetime solution, its relation to the vacuum energy problem in string theory, its (global) holographic definition in terms of two entangled and non-canonical conformal field theories, as well as a realization of a realistic de Sitter universe endowed with the observed visible matter and the necessary dark sector in order to reproduce the realistic cosmological structure. In particular, based on the new insight regarding the cosmological constant problem in string theory, we argue that in a doubled, T-duality-symmetric, phase-space-like and non-commutative generalized-geometric formulation, string theory can naturally lead to a small and positive cosmological constant that is radiatively stable and technically natural. Such a formulation is fundamentally based on a quantum spacetime, but in an effective spacetime description of this general formulation of string theory, the curvature of the dual spacetime is the cosmological constant of the observed spacetime, while the size of the dual spacetime is the gravitational constant of the same observed spacetime. Also, the three scales associated with intrinsic non-commutativity of string theory, the cosmological constant scale and the Planck scale, as well as the Higgs scale, can be arranged to satisfy various seesaw-like formulae. Along the way, we show that these new features of string theory can be implemented in a particular deformation of cosmic-string-like models.