Summer Workshops

The Center encourages physicists from distant institutions to meet for intensive research interaction. Separate from the workshops, small informal collaborations of two to six physicists are encouraged and efforts are made to accommodate such Working Groups. Learn more about working groups here.

Physicists are encouraged to apply as individual researchers to work on their own projects for up to five weeks at any time during the summer. We provide a serene atmosphere to complete work. The individual researcher may also choose to attend any workshop meetings or chat with other scientists in residence in addition to working on his or her own research.

One component of the Center program is unstructured and concentrates on individual research and the informal exchange of ideas. About 500 physicists and astrophysicists from about 100 institutions participate in the Center's summer program, with 80�90 in residence at any time. (About 40% of the participants attend for the first time.) The research interests of the participants cover a number of fields, including astrophysics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, dynamical systems, elementary particle physics, mathematical physics, and statistical physics. The interactions between participants with different interests and backgrounds are one of the most stimulating aspects of the program. Applicants can be sure that colleagues from other sub-fields of physics will be present throughout the summer.

The original concept for the Center was for individual research. Due to demands by funding agencies and academic institutions, the program has developed with specific workshops at the core. Yet, the Center continues to offer desks to applicants who apply to come to do their own research. When completing your summer application, choose Individual Research rather than a particular workshop. Applicants in this category are given as much consideration as those applying for a workshop.

Organizers:

Miguel Montero, Instituto de Fisica Teorica
*Julio Parra-Martinez, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques
Leonardo Rastelli, Stony Brook University
Irene Valenzuela, CERN

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Over the last few years, a large body of evidence has accrued, both in  field theory and in quantum gravity, suggesting that very high-energy (UV) physics can have an unexpected impact at low energies. Causality and unitarity can bound the sign and size of low-energy EFT couplings;  consistency conditions can place strong bounds on Conformal Field Theory (CFT) data; exploration of the string theory landscape and a variety of gedanken experiments (the Swampland program) suggest the existence of universal consistency conditions that must be satisfied by the low-energy Effective Field Theory (EFT); and holography in its various forms shows that  quantum-mechanical models can be used to provide a UV-complete reconstruction of an emergent spacetime. A central physical question that all these approaches try to answer is what are the consistent low-energy modifications of Einstein gravity. A narrower question is whether string theory is the unique perturbative completion of Einstein gravity. The aim of this  ACP Summer program is to bring together researchers from different backgrounds who currently investigate UV implications at low energies in quantum field theory and gravity, emphasizing the complementarity and existing synergies between the different approaches.

Organizers:

Lincoln D. Carr, Colorado School of Mines
Florian Marquardt, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
*Peter McMahon, Cornell University
Hakan Tureci, Princeton University

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

The future of computing faces a critical challenge: current technologies are nearing energy limits, threatening sustainability. To continue advancing, computing must undergo transformative shifts, including breakthroughs in energy efficiency, analog hardware, bandwidth, memory, and integrated AI. These innovations are essential to tackling global challenges, from climate change and social unrest to the development of new materials for energy production and storage. Recognizing this urgency, many physicists are now deeply engaged in shaping the next generation of computing. Fundamental shifts in computing architectures such as distributed memory and processing can already be explored through simple physical systems like networked masses and springs, offering a new lens through which to understand matter. Key topics at this workshop include optical computing, quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, Boltzmann computing, reversible/isentropic computing, novel solid-state architectures including but not limited to spintronics, and computing strategies inspired by neuroscience and bioinformatics, including the immune system. By synthesizing and systematizing these diverse ideas into a shared framework, the workshop aims to establish an open and interdisciplinary dialogue that will lay the groundwork for the next era of computing beyond current von-Neumann architectures. This workshop will provide a unique venue for fostering collaboration and advancing a collective vision for transformative computing technologies.

Organizers:

Arjun Dey, NOIRLab
*Kyoung-Soo Lee, Purdue University
Naveen Reddy, University of California Riverside
Martin White, University of California Berkeley

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

The large-scale distribution of matter in the distant (redshift > 2) universe provides the best cosmological constraints on primordial physics such as inflation, early epochs of dark energy and exotic particle species. However, the most easily observable galaxy tracer populations are young star-forming galaxies whose formation and evolution are strongly affected by complex astrophysical processes, which can result in observational selection and measurement biases. Recent observations from ground and space observatories have begun to reveal the detailed properties and large scale clustering of these populations. As the physics community embarks on large cosmological surveys of the distant universe, it is necessary to critically examine the challenges of using these young star-forming populations as cosmological tracers and to determine how best to mitigate or model these to extract the best cosmological constraints. This workshop aims to bring together a diverse group of researchers working on observations, theory and simulations of galaxies and cosmology to investigate these issues.

Organizers:

*Joshua Shaevitz, Princeton University
Allison Squires, University of Chicago
Randall Goldsmith, University of Wisconsin Madison

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

This workshop will connect biophysicists across experiment, theory, and computation to identify the most important outstanding questions in nanoscale biophysical systems, and to chart a roadmap for development and infusion of new nanoscale measurement technologies that will enable breakthroughs in these areas. The workshop will be organized around 4-5 “frontier challenges” in biophysics. Topic areas will include: (1) label-free techniques for nanoscale sensing and imaging, (2) understanding the physics of crowded intracellular environments, (3) measuring and controlling energy transfer at the nanoscale, (4) AI for analysis of rich data sets from nanoscale systems, and (5) understanding how signaling cascades and other collective system-wide effects bridge from nano- to micron- and larger scales of biology.

Organizers:

*Yang Bai, University of Wisconsin Madison
Patrick Fox, Fermilab
Maxim Perelstein, Cornell University
Andrea Thamm, University of Massachusetts Amherst

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Experiments at energy-frontier colliders remain an indispensable tool in exploring elementary particle physics. The current run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will effectively double the integrated luminosity collected at the 13.6 TeV center-of-mass energy, while the upcoming luminosity upgrade (HL-LHC) will further increase it by an order of magnitude. The detectors will also be upgraded in preparation for the HL-LHC, bringing in exciting new capabilities. At the same time, planning has begun in earnest for the future energy-frontier colliders which will eventually succeed the LHC. Proposals for electron-positron Higgs factories, a muon collider, and a next-generation hadron collider reaching energies of order 100 TeV, are under active consideration in the community. This workshop will bring together theorists and experimentalists interested in probing the Standard Model at the energy frontier and searching for physics beyond the Standard Model at the LHC and future colliders.

Organizers:

Vicky (Vassiliki) Kalogera, Northwestern University
*Allison Strom, Northwestern University
Grace Telford, Princeton University

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Massive stars have a profound impact on both galaxy evolution and the evolution of the Universe as a whole. Despite their key role in many areas of astrophysics, crucial aspects of massive-star physics remain uncertain. This is particularly true in the early Universe, where JWST has revealed evidence for extreme massive stellar populations in low-metallicity galaxies that cannot be explained by our existing models. Several major efforts are now underway to obtain detailed observations of metal-poor massive stars in nearby galaxies with the aim of informing a new generation of stellar models suitable for early galaxies. Still, these local environments are only approximate analogs to the star-formation conditions and chemistry in young, distant galaxies. To make progress, we must leverage observations of low-metallicity stars and clusters in nearby galaxies together with observations of unresolved stellar populations of galaxies in the early Universe. This workshop will bring together theorists and observers with complementary expertise in star-forming galaxies at high redshift and in massive stars. The major goals will be to find ways that observations and models of massive stars in nearby galaxies can inform interpretation of early galaxy observations and vice versa; to identify gaps in the community’s current set of analysis tools and techniques; and to facilitate long-format discussions to inspire new collaborations across these different disciplines.

Organizers:

Tijs Karman, Radboud University
*Tim Langen, Vienna University of Technology
Sebastian Will, Columbia University
Tanya Zelevinsky, Columbia University

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Ultracold molecules are opening new fields of exploration: Quantum simulation with dipolar molecules is within reach with the recent advent of quantum degenerate gases. Tabletop precision measurements with molecules can complement collider experiments at the energy frontier, provide the most stringent tests of time-reversal symmetry, and enable tests of the Standard Model. Last but not least, cold molecules help answer fundamental questions about molecular collisions and chemical reactions, and offer new ways for their control. This workshop will foster interactions between experiment and theory, focusing on identifying novel scientific opportunities in three interlinked topics: quantum many-body physics, precision measurements, and cold collisions and chemistry.

Organizers:

Joseph Checkelsky, MIT
Debanjan Chowdhury, Cornell University
Yong Baek Kim, University of Toronto
*Jie Shan, Cornell University

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

A number of recent breakthroughs in quantum materials research, both in traditional solid-state systems and in van der Waals heterostructures, have opened up exciting new opportunities in the field. Experts working on analytical field-theoretic and phenomenological approaches, state-of-the-art numerical methods, and novel experimental probes will bring together their complementary skill sets to find innovative solutions to some of the most pressing questions in the field. Some of the topics that will be covered are: two-dimensional quantum materials as a versatile platform for quantum “simulation” and realization of exotic phases of ultra-quantum matter; quantum spin-liquid and mixed-valence phases in quantum materials with transition and rare-earth elements that exhibit electron fractionalization; developments in computational many-body physics and quantum many-body theory to tackle the non-perturbative description of such fractionalized phases; and new experimental  probes of these excitations.

The program will focus on pressing questions in both theory and experiment, that helps pave the way for a deeper understanding of fractionalization in correlated materials beyond the classic quantum Hall-like setting, and find new avenues for engineering quantum materials that exhibit fractionalization as well as probing them using new methods.

Organizers:

Kimberly Boddy, University of Texas Austin
Jeff Dror, University of Florida
Carl-Johan Haster, University of Nevada Las Vegas
*Luke Kelley, University of California Berkeley

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Recent evidence for the stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background in the nHz regime marks a significant milestone in GW astronomy. This workshop will bring together GW data specialists, astrophysical modeling experts, particle physicists, and cosmologists to explore what we can learn about the sources of nHz GWs from pulsar timing arrays and other low-frequency detection methods (e.g. astrometric, doppler-tracking, etc). The GW signal will provide a powerful probe into the formation of galaxies and could reveal new physics from the very early universe (e.g., inflation, phase transitions, topological defects, dark matter). The goal of the workshop is to foster collaborative efforts to generate new ideas that progress the field and address outstanding challenges.

Organizers:

*Charlotte Boettcher, Stanford University
Ashvin Vishwanath, Harvard University
Xiaodong Xu, University of Washington
Matthew Yankowitz, University of Washington

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Many exciting and enigmatic phases of quantum matter originate either from strong electron-electron interactions or from topologically nontrivial electronic bands. In recent years, there has been enormous progress in the realization and study of a wide class of quantum systems with intertwined topology and correlations, drawing from an array of materials including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered ferromagnets, superconductors, proximitized nanowires, and two-dimensional quantum wells. The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers from a variety of backgrounds ranging from the study of quantum materials to engineered quantum structures, united by a shared interest in the emergent topological properties of quantum many-body systems. The program will focus on topics such as the creation and detection of novel topological phases in strongly correlated systems, new pathways towards realizing and studying topological superconductivity, and progress towards developing topological many-body systems for applications in quantum science and technology. We hope to establish interdisciplinary connections and stimulate new experimental and theoretical directions in this rapidly emerging field.

Organizers:

Dmitri Kharzeev, Stony Brook University
Zein-Eddine Meziani, Argonne National Laboratory
Farid Salazar, University of Washington
*Yong Zhao, Argonne National Laboratory

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is one of the pillars of the Standard Model of particle physics, describing the strongly interacting quantum matter bound inside subatomic nuclei in terms of its fundamental degrees of freedom: quarks and gluons. The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory, represents a major investment by the US Department of Energy and holds immense potential to advance our understanding of QCD and strongly interacting systems in general. To fully realize this potential, it is essential to assess and extend the EIC's core physics program—covering the origin of mass and spin, the nature of hadronization and confinement, the tomographic imaging of hadrons and nuclei, and the emergence of gluon-saturated matter—to establish its broader connections with other research areas. This workshop will bring together experts from particle, nuclear, condensed matter, and quantum information physics to address challenges in understanding strongly interacting quantum matter. By integrating modern techniques in lattice QCD, effective field theory, phenomenology, many-body methods, and quantum information science, we aim to provide critical input to the EIC’s scientific program and examine its complementarity with the LHC, as well as foster interdisciplinary collaborations on advancing condensed matter physics, particle, and nuclear astrophysics.

Organizers:

*Shota Komatsu, CERN
Mukund Rangamani, University of California Davis
Xi Yin, Harvard University

*represents the organizer in charge of promoting diversity

We have seen progress on several fronts in string theory in recent years. For instance, our understanding of string compactifications has broadened, we are learning to strengthen constrains on low-energy effective field theories, and coming to grips with gauge/gravity dualities beyond the classical gravity regime. These have been aided by the development of new tools, in particular in string field theory. The workshop aims to leverage this progress to tackle outstanding challenges.

Questions we hope to address during the program include:

a) understanding BFSS quantum mechanics and matrix string theory as potentially providing non-perturbative definition of M-theory and Type IIA superstrings,
b) furthering the goal of deriving gauge/gravity dualities,
c) applications of solvable non-critical string theories such the Virasoro minimal string and its cousins, and
d) characterizing non-supersymmetric string vacua.

All an all, we hope the workshop will provide an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles governing string theory.