Quantum Physics

Salvatore Pace discusses the order of anomalies in global symmetries: the number of identical copies needed before their diagonal symmetry becomes anomaly-free. Familiar lattice examples often have finite order, whereas perturbative continuum anomalies have infinite order. The seminar examines Onsager symmetry as a lattice counterpart of chiral symmetry for a massless Dirac fermion in one spatial dimension. Its anomaly has order two, but imposing CPT symmetry on the lattice changes it to infinite order, bringing the lattice description closer to the continuum. The work was carried out with Elijah Lew-Smith and Shu-Heng Shao and is reported in arXiv:2606.12510. Attendance is at the IAS Bloomberg Lecture Hall; the organizer also offers Zoom access by request through the contact listed on the event page.

The Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences convenes mathematicians and physicists working on Liouville theory for a three-day workshop spanning its spacelike, timelike and related formulations. Andreas Blommaert and Beatrix Muehlmann organize the programme at Rubenstein Commons, and the official event page states that drop-in attendance is welcome.

Sisi Zhou discusses how quantum error correction and quantum-learning methods can improve physical sensing. The colloquium moves from qubit examples to distributed and many-body sensing, then considers measurement strategies for estimating several parameters. It takes place in Perimeter Institute's Time Room on 30 September 2026, from 11:00 to 12:30 Toronto time.

Sahand Tabatabaei presents SQUINT, a sensing platform that combines molecular electron spins, sensitive mechanical detection and control of spin interactions. Molecular sensors can be chemically adjusted and positioned near targets, offering flexibility that defects fixed inside a solid host cannot provide. The work uses a modified XYXY decoupling sequence to reduce dipolar interactions despite uneven control fields. In a sample containing roughly 100 trityl radicals, the reported coherence time reaches about 400 microseconds. These longer-lived spins enable frequency-selective measurements of weak alternating magnetic fields and spectroscopy of nearby nuclear-spin ensembles. The seminar explores how molecular control and mechanical readout can bring quantum sensing closer to complex chemical targets.

IMPRS-CMS in Stuttgart is accepting applications for multiple fully funded doctoral positions across quantum materials, electronic structure and many-body theory, nanoscience, solid-state spectroscopy, solid-state ionics and batteries, bioinspired materials, quantum and organic electronics, and ultracold atomic gases. The English-language programme provides structured training, individual supervision and co-supervision, mentoring, research infrastructure and additional support for scientific meetings and training. The current call remains open through 30 September 2026.

The University of São Paulo's Terahertz Science, Technology and Innovation Group seeks a postdoctoral researcher to study low-energy collective excitations in quantum materials with terahertz spectroscopy. The project provides access to magneto-spectroscopy under intense magnetic fields and low temperatures and combines experimental infrastructure with national and international collaborations.

NIMS is recruiting several permanent researchers for fundamental, foundational and applied materials research. Priority areas include hydrogen and battery materials, quantum and semiconductor materials, magnetic and structural materials, inorganic nanomaterials, polymers and biomaterials, data-driven materials development and advanced characterization. The appointment is expected to begin on 1 April 2027, subject to discussion.

CERN's Theory Department is accepting applications for a research fellowship at the frontier of fundamental physics. The selected fellow will develop an independent theoretical-physics programme, advance models and interpretation relevant to particle physics and fundamental interactions, collaborate with theoretical and experimental physicists, and participate in CERN seminars, workshops and training. The fellowship is a 24-month, fully on-site appointment in Geneva with an ideal start date of 1 October 2027. Applications close on 2 November 2026 at 23:59 Geneva time.

Develop algorithms and research software for quantum many-body science, including work associated with packages such as TRIQS, AFQMC and ITensor. The fellowship joins the Center for Computational Quantum Physics and combines scientific research with software development and collaboration. The initial appointment lasts two years, with possible renewal for a third, starting between August and early November 2027. Annual salary is USD 95,000. Applications remain under consideration until filled; the priority date is 9 October 2026. Submit a CV/publications, a software and algorithm statement of at most four pages, and three confidential references through Interfolio.

Develop computational approaches to quantum many-body problems at the Center for Computational Quantum Physics. Research connects theory, numerical algorithms and scientific software with condensed matter, materials and quantum emulators. The initial appointment is two years, renewable for a third, with a start between August and November 2027. The annual salary is USD 95,000. Applications are reviewed until positions are filled; 9 October 2026 is a priority consideration date, not a final closing date. Apply through Interfolio with a CV/publications, research statement of at most four pages and three confidential reference letters.

Investigate quantum materials for sensing, including nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, with the NIMS Semiconductor Defect Design Group. Work includes electron-spin-resonance characterization of color centers, crystal processing to control their structures, and analysis of defects and impurities. One position with a negotiable start in January 2027 or later. The initial appointment is for one year, renewable after annual review up to five years; published monthly salary JPY 345,425. Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Upload a ZIP through the official role page’s Box link containing the NIMS-format CV with photograph, a one-to-two-page research summary, publications and invited talks, details of two referees and three main papers. Follow the upload form’s subsequent notification instructions.

Tomas Sykora examines topological physics that perturbation theory cannot capture. Complex field configurations in path integrals include solitons, monopoles, domain walls, cosmic strings, sphalerons, baryon junctions and instantons; non-perturbative effects are central to confinement and hadron masses and spins. Starting with tunnelling in a double-well potential and imaginary time, the talk follows instantons into QCD, covering the theta vacuum, strong CP and axions, chiral symmetry breaking, topology and resurgence. It also considers whether a gluonic Y-shaped baryon junction carries baryon number instead of the valence quarks. The experimental discussion reviews instanton searches at HERA and the LHC, junction searches at RHIC, and prospective Electron-Ion Collider tests. No confirmed signal is claimed. Speaker: Tomas Sykora, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University. Organized by Jiří Hejbal and Roman Lysák at FZU. Thursday 15 October 2026, 10:00–11:00 Europe/Prague (CEST). Attend at Dvořák Hall, FZU, Pod Vodárenskou věží 1, Prague, Czechia, or use the public Zoom link on the organizer’s event page.