IFIRSE hosts a regular schedule of seminars and webinars given by resident researchers, visiting scientists, and members of our international collaborations. They are open to all members of the IFIRSE community.

Upcoming seminars

• Aug. 06 2026, 14:00 – 15:30 (GMT+7), ICISE center Seminar: On photon counting formulae Speaker: Dr. Chau Nguyen, Univ. of Siegen, GE· hosted with the Neutrino Group and Quantum Physics Group, IFIRSE, ICISE

  If a pulse of light is sent into a photon detector, how many "clicks" are there to be recorded? Based on Glauber's quantum theory of optical coherence, Mandel introduced the seminal photon counting formula of quantum optics, now named after him. However, with the modern development of better and better photon detectors, Mandel's photon counting formula exhibits several limitations. First, Mandel's formula is perturbative in nature, and its naive application to the strong coupling regime can result in inconsistent photon counts. Attempts to address this problem have not resulted in a unification in the literature. Second, Mandel's formula and its variants assume strictly flatband detectors, and the adaptation of the theory for detectors with finite bandwidth was no more than heuristic. Lastly, the formula is strictly applicable only to free fields, which is not the case if the light is continuously excited by the light source. We address the first two problems by introducing a non-perturbative photon counting formula for detectors of arbitrary finite bandwidth. This in fact also effectively unifies the previous efforts in the existing literature. We then show how the third problem can be treated within our framework, giving a consistent and rigorous photon counting theory also for continuous light sources.

  Zoom Zoom, Meeting ID: 932 2718 1912 Passcode: 553212

Neutrino Group webinars

• Fri 17 Apr 2026 · 14:00–15:30 (GMT+7) Webinar: Dark matter detection with a superconducting quantum sensor network Speaker: Asst. Prof. Le Bin Ho, Tohoku University, Japan · Neutrino Group webinar

  Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in modern physics, yet it has never been directly detected. This talk introduces a new approach based on a network of superconducting quantum sensors: by connecting many sensors and letting them work together, sensitivity is improved enough to detect extremely weak signals impossible to observe with a single device. The talk covers the basic idea, how quantum effects enhance detection, and why sensor networks are a promising direction for future experiments — highlighting how quantum technologies can contribute to fundamental physics and the search for dark matter.

• Tue 5 May 2026 · 15:00–17:00 (GMT+7) Webinar: Water-based liquid scintillator with nanoparticles Speaker: Dr. Teppei Katori, King's College London, UK · Neutrino Group webinar

  Nanoparticles are an emerging technology with many industrial applications. Their pre-determined, controllable optical properties and the large libraries of established protocols for dispersing them in aqueous solutions make them attractive for nuclear and particle physics. This talk introduces quantum dots and an R&D effort to develop a water-based quantum-dot liquid scintillator, presents results of optical measurements and a cosmic-ray test, and discusses the future potential of a sustainable radiation detector for nuclear and particle physics, with special interest in neutrino physics.

Quantum Physics public talk

• Jul. 23. 2026 · ICISE Public talk: Quantum entanglement: A special and useful characteristics Speaker: Prof. Dam Thanh Son, Chicago University, USA · hosted with the Quantum Physics Group

  Quantum entanglement is one of the strangest properties of the microscopic world: two or more quantum particles can have correlations that cannot be explained by any “classical scenario,” even though they are very far apart. This article introduces this property through its history of development -- from the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen Paradox (EPR) of 1935, through Bell’s inequality, to a hypothetical experiment with three measuring instruments demonstrating a logical contradiction between the quantum world and any “hidden variable” theory. The article also reviews some modern applications of quantum entanglement, from quantum computing to black hole physics.

• 2026 · ICISE Public talk: Waves of Topological Origin in the Fluid Earth System and Beyond Speaker: Prof. Brad Marston, Brown University, USA · hosted with the Quantum Physics Group

  A public lecture on how symmetry and topology — the same ideas behind topological insulators — explain equatorially trapped Kelvin and Yanai waves in Earth's oceans and atmosphere as topologically protected edge modes, with implications reaching from climate phenomena such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation to magnetized plasmas.

Astrophysics seminar series

• Ongoing SAGI Astrophysics Seminar Series Simons Astrophysics Group (SAGI) · Online & on-site, ICISE