C*-Algebraic Quantum Mechanics and Topological Phases of Matter

Organizers

• Agnès Beaudry (CU Boulder, Mathematics)

• Michael Hermele (CU Boulder, Physics)

• Markus J. Pflaum (CU Boulder, Mathematics)

• Daniel D. Spiegel (UC Davis)

Description

This summer school will explore new developments at the intersection of condensed matter physics, C*-algebraic quantum mechanics and algebraic topology.  Specifically, the goal is to explore how C*-algebras are used to study topological phases of matter in the thermodynamic limit, and how methods from topology and homotopy theory can be applied in this setting to study phases of quantum systems.

Speakers

Mini-Courses

• Sven Bachmann, University of British Columbia

• Pieter Naaijkens, Cardiff University

• Robert Sims, University of Arizona

• Nikita Sopenko, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

• Daniel Spiegel, University of California, Davis

• Carolyn Zhang, Harvard University

Contributed Talks

• Leonardo Almeida Lessa, Perimeter Institute / University of Waterloo

• Adam Artymowicz, California Institute of Technology

• Peter Huston, Vanderbilt University

• Cameron Krulewski,  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Marvin Qi, University of Colorado Boulder

• Eric Roon, Michigan State University

• Severin Schraven, Technical University of Munich

• Christoph Setescak, Universität Regensburg

• Ryan Thorngren, University of California, Los Angeles

• Daniel Wallick, The Ohio State University

• Lei Gioia Yang, California Institute of Technology

Topics

The workshop will be structured around the following topics: 

1. Introduction to Algebraic Quantum Mechanics of Infinite Lattice Systems

2. Lieb–Robinson Bounds and Applications

3. Superselection Sectors, Anyons, and Braiding

4. Quantum Hall Effect and SPT Phases

Course notes

Some course notes are available in this folder.

Registration

Registration for the summer school is open at this link.  Anyone interested in the topic for this summer school is encouraged  to register. Participation is open to all who register. If you registered for the conference before July 11, but no longer plan to attend in person, we kindly ask that you email us at cuboulderphasegroup@gmail.com to help us get an accurate headcount.

Remote participation

We will be recording lectures and hope to even livestream via zoom. The information to join online will be made available to registered participants.  

Where and When 

The summer school will start July 29, with registration from 8:15-8:55 am and the first talk at 9 am. The last talk of the summer school will end at 12:30 pm on Friday August 2. Wednesday afternoon will be left free for activities. 

Registration and the main talks will take place in the JILA auditorium. 

There will also be problem sessions Tuesday and Thursday evening. The room for problem sessions will be announced later.

Broadening Participation

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment during the summer school and to bring together a diverse group of participants. We encourage applications from people of all racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities as well as persons with disabilities. We also aim to recruit participants from a variety of academic institutions, and with varied scientific backgrounds within mathematics and physics. 

Disability Acommodations

If you have any accessibility needs (e.g. ASL interpreter, enlarged text/visibility accommodations, etc.), please contact and we will help provide adequate accomodations.

Policies and code of conduct

• The summer school will adopt CU Boulders's Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking Policy and Discrimination and Harassment Policy . 

• Reporting to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance: Individuals who have been subjected to protected-class discrimination or harassment, sexual assault or other forms of sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence (including dating or domestic violence), or stalking have several options for reporting. Depending on the nature of the alleged conduct, individuals may pursue a university process, a criminal process, both processes, or neither. We encourage you to report any such issue to us and to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance at this link.  

Feedback and reporting

• Please use this form to provide feedback and report on issues.  

• Disclaimer: The organizers of the conference are mandatory reporters.  Any information you share with us  regarding protected-class discrimination or harassment, sexual assault or other forms of sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence (including dating or domestic violence), or stalking will be reported by us to the Office of Equity and Compliance . This does not mean you should not share this information with us. The report will be used by OIEC to help determine the best way forward. You may also choose to report directly to the Office of Equity and Compliance yourself.

Getting to Boulder

There's an affordable bus from Denver International Airport to Boulder.  Click here for details. Tickets for the bus can be purchased at the airport. 

Parking

If you will have a car, there is short-term pay parking in many locations on campus. The location closest to the auditorium is the Euclid Parking Garage. The Folsom Parking Garage  is also near the auditorium. More information can be found here regarding locations and rates. There is also free street parking throughout Boulder, but read the signage carefully.

Lodging 

Participants must arrange their own lodging. There are many hotels in Boulder and, of course, Airbnbs. 

Childcare

Childcare can be arranged through local babysitting and nanny agencies. See, for example, Babysitters of Boulder, ABC Nannies, and other such services. If you need assistance finding appropriate housing for your family, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you need access to a lactation room, please also contact us and we will arrange such accommodations.