Organisers: Ilija Buric & Patrick Fritzsch (TCD)
Next Colloquium: Thursday 15/10/26 - Sofia Vallecorsa (CERN) [unusual time and place]
Venue: 11 am, School of Mathematics Seminar Room, Hamilton Building (no 20), Trinity College Dublin
Title: From Quantum Foundations to High-Energy Physics: The CERN Quantum Technology Initiative
Abstract: Over the past century, quantum physics has transitioned from discovering fundamental rules to controlling individual quantum systems with precision. This shift, from fundamental science toward active engineering, grounds modern quantum technologies and provides the rationale for the CERN Quantum Technology Initiative (QTI). This talk provides an overview of the QTI activities across its key pillars: quantum computing and algorithms, quantum sensing for new-physics searches, and quantum networks.
2026/27 Colloquium schedule.
2026
Sep 23rd: Niklas Garner (Oxford University)
Sep 30th: Ruth Britto (TCD)
Oct 7th: no colloquium (HMI)
Oct 14th: moved due to industrial action
Oct 15th: Sofia Vallecorsa (CERN)
Oct 21st: no colloquium
Oct 28th: Reading Week
Nov 4th: Benoit Vicedo (University of York)
Nov 11th: Viatcheslav Mukhanov (LMU), postponed
Nov 18th: Alessandro Piazza (Imperial College)
Nov 25th: Giulia Fardelli (EPFL)
Dec 2rd: Ben Hoare (Durham University)
2027
Jan 26th: Francesco Bertucci (University of Mississippi)
Feb 3rd: Paul Fendley (Oxford University)
Feb 10th: t.b.a.
Feb 17th: Falk Hassler (Wroclaw University)
Feb 24th: t.b.a.
Mar 3rd: Reading Week
Mar 10th: Andrew McLeod (Edinburgh University)
Mar 17th: St. Patrick's
Mar 24th: Thomas Stone (TU Munich)
Mar 31st: Victor Gorbenko (EPFL)
Apr 7th: t.b.a.
Apr 14th: t.b.a.
PAST EVENTS:
Colloquium: 30/09/26 - Ruth Britto (TCD)
Venue: 4 pm, HMI Seminar Room, Hamilton Building (top floor), Trinity College Dublin
Title: Amplitudes and algebra
Abstract: While Feynman integrals are often very difficult to compute directly, they can be approached by understanding their algebraic structure. I will present applications of coaction and cluster algebra to amplitudes in N=4 SYM and to the functions underlying Feynman integrals.
Colloquium: 23/09/26 - Niklas Garner (Oxford University)
Venue: 4 pm, HMI Seminar Room, Hamilton Building (top floor), Trinity College Dublin
Title: Complementary Constructions of Vertex Operators Algebras in 3d N=4 SQFT
Abstract: Vertex operator algebras (VOAs) are a mathematical object that arise in many corners of quantum field theory and string theory. One corner that has seen quite a bit of study recently is in topologically-twisted 3d N=4 theories, which can be viewed as an generalization of the well-known relation between Chern-Simons theory and chiral Wess-Zumino-Witten models. In this talk I will review this correspondence and then describe two constructions of these 3d N=4 VOAs related to the geometry of the Higgs branch of supersymmetric vacua. I will then discuss ongoing work with C. Beem that presents a complementary construction of the same VOAs from the Coulomb branch of vacua.