Aspects of new physics beyond the standard model : electroweak naturalness, dark matter and holographic quantum gravity

This dissertation is based on studies of three aspects of physics beyond the Standard Model. First, we summarize a study of high temperature symmetry restoration in extensions of the Standard Model where the naturalness problem is resolved due to the Higgs being a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson. Second, we analyze a framework for building quantum field theoretic models where dark matter has its cosmic origins in an asymmetry, while the overall dark charge is conserved and the dark matter relic is actually symmetric at late times. Finally, we study the relation between holographic `bulk' geometry, and the structure of entanglement in the quantum field theory living on the boundary as characterized by the Multiscale Entanglement Renormalization Ansatz (MERA).