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23/7/2025 – 25/7/2025 – A look at the interface between gravity and quantum theory – 2025 edition

Hotel Marcora - San Vito di Cadore, IT

23/7/2025 - 25/7/2025

The third edition of workshop will gather young researchers working on topics at the interface between gravity and quantum mechanics. The topics will range from models describing non-standard coupling between gravity and matter, to recent proposals of experimental setups for studying the nature of gravity via table-top experiments. PhD students and PostDocs will be given the opportunity to present their research activity and interact with their colleagues, and share motivations, techniques and perspectives, in a friendly and informal environment. A great amount of time will be dedicated to discussions and perspectives.

All the information about the conference can be found at https://www.qmts.it/conferences/a-look-at-the-interface-between-gravity-and-quantum-theory-2025-edition/

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17/6/2025 – 19/6/2025 – Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics 2025

University of Trieste, IT

17/6/2025 - 19/6/2025

Fifth school on quantum foundations dedicated to Prof. GianCarlo Ghirardi.

Quantum mechanics is extremely successful in predicting experimental results and has a vast range of applications. Nonetheless, many unanswered questions remain. The school will introduce Master and PhD students to the still outstanding problems in our understanding of quantum foundations.
To give a deep look into the foundations of quantum mechanics, lectures will be given by experts in the field. An extensive time will be dedicated to selected contributed talks.

All the information about the conference can be found at https://www.qmts.it/conferences/fpqp2025/

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QuCoM Steering Committee in Trieste

On 10th September 2024, a QuCoM Steering Committee took place among the PIs of QuCoM partner organization to discuss the development of upcoming deliverables and milestones. The participants also discussed the outcomes of the dissemination strategy and adjustment of the collection of information. The partners viewed the project video that was created by the group of the University of Southampton and published in late May 2024. The partners discussed the possibility to meet in person in the spring 2025 to discuss project progresses and results in view of the project end in September 2025. The overall evaluation of scientific progresses is positive while the management continues to work smoothly.

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10/9/2024 – 12/9/2024 – Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics 2024

University of Trieste, IT

10/9/2024 - 12/7/2024

Fourth school on quantum foundations dedicated to Prof. GianCarlo Ghirardi.

Quantum Mechanic is extremely successful in predicting experimental results and has a vast range of applications. Nonetheless, many unanswered questions remain. The school will introduce Master and PhD students to the still outstanding problems in our understanding of quantum foundations.
To give a deep look into the foundations of quantum mechanics, lectures will be given by experts in the field. An extensive time will be dedicated to selected contributed talks.

 

All the information about the conference can be found at https://www.qmts.it/conferences/fpqp2024/

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02/7/2024 – 04/7/2024 – A look at the interface between gravity and quantum theory – 2024 edition

Hotel Marcora - San Vito di Cadore, IT

02/7/2024 - 04/7/2024

The workshop will gather young researchers working on topics at the interface between gravity and quantum mechanics. The topics will range from models describing non-standard coupling between gravity and matter, to recent proposals of experimental setups for studying the nature of gravity via table-top experiments. PhD students and PostDocs will be given the opportunity to present their research activity and interact with their colleagues, and share motivations, techniques and perspectives, in a friendly and informal environment. A great amount of time will be dedicated to discussions and perspectives.

All the information about the conference can be found at https://www.qmts.it/conferences/a-look-at-the-interface-between-gravity-and-quantum-theory-2024-edition/

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10/5/2024 – As for the CAT…models and interpretations of quantum mechanics

University of Trieste, IT

10/5/2024

A century after its birth, quantum mechanics continues to collect extraordinary successes. Nevertheless, there are still open problems at its FOUNDATIONS. Specifically, the quantum measurement problem, exemplified by the famous Schrödinger cat paradox, poses several questions still lacking an answer. Why a cat cannot be prepared in a quantum superposition? What is the real meaning of the wavefunction? How one can interpret or modify the quantum theory to solve the MEASUREMENT problem?

This workshop wants to give a glimpse into some of the open questions in the foundations of quantum mechanics from different perspectives. We will tackle the ontology of the wavefunction, the quantum measurement problem, the spontaneous collapse models, the Bohm mechanics and the many world interpretation of quantum mechanics.

The workshop is limited in the number of attendee. If you are interested to attend, please consider registering as soon as possible. Please register here: https://www.qmts.it/conferences/as-for-the-cat-models-and-interpretations-of-quantum-mechanics/

The deadline for the registration is the 26th of April.

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10/10/2023 – 12/03/2024 – Experimental meetings

Online

4/10/2022 - 26/9/2022

QuCoM experimentalists continue to hold regular online meetings every second Tuesday of every month. At both experiment sites, Leiden and Southampton, there are setups which are used to detect gravity with levitated masses. These experiments are cryogenic and involved advanced vibration isolation techniques.
Leiden labs are using tantalum superconductors and asymmetric shaped particles to preferentially detect selected oscillation modes, while Southampton is using lead traps and mostly spherical particles. Experimentalists have also been discussing techniques and protocols to acquire data of the motion of levitated particles for highly sensitive force and acceleration detection as well as manipulation techniques to prepare selected states of motion, such as squeezed and cooled thermal states. The intermediate goal is to achieve thermal noise limited motional modes at the temperature of the cryogenic environment.
Presently, most modes are still driven and therefore heated by vibrations coupling into the particle motion. The best results have been achieved with a passive cryogenic system to be close to the thermal noise limit at 300 mK at Southampton. Therefore, vibration isolation strategies are discussed, and knowledge is shared for inverted pendulum GAS filters and other spring-mass type vibration isolation approaches. Leiden University has the most advanced setup on vibration isolation while using a pulsed tube cooled cryostat. A creative idea is to use a liquid-based vibration damper for future improved isolation at low frequencies.

The QuCoM team is also, with occasional participation from theorists across the project team, discussing different ideas for setting up gravity experiments with the source mass implemented inside the cryostat, which will allow to reduce the size of the source mass significantly and likely below the current smallest mass gravity measurement achieved. The main idea is still to use close to resonance excitation of the source mass to enhance detection sensitive and use some sort of mass modulation of the source mass inside the cryostat. Rotation based platforms as well as linear modulation systems are under consideration. 

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13/9/2023 – 15/9/2023 – Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics 2023

University of Trieste, IT

13/9/2023 - 15/7/2023

Third school on quantum foundations dedicated to Prof. GianCarlo Ghirardi.

Quantum Mechanic is extremely successful in predicting experimental results and has a vast range of applications. Nonetheless, many unanswered questions remain. The school will introduce Master and PhD students to the still outstanding problems in our understanding of quantum foundations.
To give a deep look into the foundations of quantum mechanics, lectures will be given by experts in the field. An extensive time will be dedicated to selected contributed talks.


All the information about the conference can be found at http://www.qmts.it/?q=fpqp2023

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21/08/2023 – Steering Committee Meeting

Online

21/8/2023
The PI chaired a discussion on planning the project first Review Meeting: possible dates, possible names for monitors, preliminary agenda, organizational aspects. The PI gave a preliminary presentation of the project overview with the double intent of collecting missing data from the partners and to give an example of presentation for the Review Meeting. Partners agreed to organize in WPs and prepare corresponding presentations. Admin officer gave a preliminary presentation on WP4 – Management, Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication, Commercial exploitation. Partners also discussed some aspects of reporting on the portal: Deliverables, Milestones, Risks, Impact and Results and some inputs were collected on dissemination and communication.

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31/7/2023 – 4/8/2023 – Quantum sensing and fundamental physics with levitated mechanical systems

ECT* Villa Tambosi - Trento (Italy)

31/7/2023 - 4/8/2023

The workshop Quantum sensing and fundamental physics with levitated mechanical systems aims at bringing together theorists and experimentalists working in the field of levitated nano/micromechanical systems, using various platforms (optical, electrical, magnetic) and in related fields in order to discuss the most recent results and exchange ideas in order to explore new opportunities in quantum sensing and fundamental physics. In particular, the workshop will cover the following topics: levitated optomechanics, levitated magnetomechanics, levitated micro and nanosensors, hybrid quantum systems, spin-mechanics, search for dark matter or modified gravity or new physics beyond the standard model, fundamental science in space.

All the information about the conference can be found at https://www.ectstar.eu/workshops/quantum-sensing-and-fundamental-physics-with-levitated-mechanical-systems/

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Contacts

Project manager
Irene Spagnul
ispagnul@units.it
Department of Physics
University of Trieste

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Co-funded by the European Commission’s
Horizon Europe Programme under GA 101046973

QuCoM-Quantum Control of Gravity with Levitated Mechanics © 2025. All Rights Reserved.