DGP 88 Annual Conference and Spring Meeting of the Atomic, Molecular, Quantum Optics and Photonics Section (SAMOP)
2025-03-09 09:00 - 2025-03-14 17:00 UTC | University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG) will hold its 88 Annual Conference and the DPG Spring Meeting of the Atomic, Molecular, Quantum Optics and Photonics Section (SAMOP) from 9 to 14 March 2025 at the University of Bonn.

Workshop on Belgian Time and Frequency Services
2025-03-20 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Royal Observatory, Avenue Circulaire 3, Uccle, 1180, Belgium
On Thursday, March 20, the Royal Observatory of Belgium, in collaboration with Belnet, is organizing a workshop on BTFS (Belgian Time and Frequency Services).
The program will include the progress within the BOOSTED project (Belgium Optical network for Optical frequency Standards and TimE Dissemination), but also the perspectives for the next steps of the Belgian T&F infrastructure. The workshop consists of 2 sessions: time transfer and frequency transfer with presentations from different equipment manufacturers, scientific presentations, international collaborations, etc.
The event is free, but the registration is mandatory.
Registration link and full program can be found at: https://events.spacepole.be/event/224
The workshop will take place at the Observatory, Avenue circulaire 3, 1180 Uccle in Meridian room. The workshop starts at 14h00 and ends at 17h00.

Movie Night - "Kwantumrevolutie" at UAntwerpen
2025-04-04 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | UAntwerpen promotiezaal (D.Q.002), Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerpen, 2610, Belgium

Altaïr - ULB conference - La topologie au laboratoire : du monopole magnétique aux états topologiques de la matière
2025-04-12 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | ULB, Boulevard du Triomphe, Elsene, 1050, Belgium
La topologie au laboratoire : du monopole magnétique aux états topologiques de la matière
par Nathan GOLDMAN (ULB)
En 1931, Paul Dirac revisite les équations de l’électromagnétisme en introduisant un concept abstrait : le monopole magnétique. Cette charge magnétique élémentaire donne naissance à des structures mathématiques exotiques lorsqu’elle est intégrée dans une description quantique de la matière. L’étude de ces structures abstraites a eu un impact direct sur le développement du modèle standard en physique des particules. De manière remarquable, ces mêmes structures ont également conduit à la découverte des états topologiques de la matière : des phases exotiques aux propriétés étonnantes, directement observables en laboratoire.
L’histoire que nous explorerons s’étend sur un siècle de progrès en physique moderne, couvrant à la fois la physique mathématique et la physique de la matière condensée. Elle illustre l’un des aspects les plus fascinants de cette science fondamentale : les avancées issues de l’interdisciplinarité.
Altaïr Nathan Goldman 12 avril

Campus Plaine, Forum, Auditoire E
Entrée : 5 €, gratuit pour les étudiants et les membres d’Altaïr

Conference on climate crisis in the history of Earth at UCLouvain
2025-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Auditoire Sciences A.02, Louvain-la-Neuve, Place des Sciences 2 L6.06.01, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
This conference will be conducted in French.

UHasselt Materiomics expert lectures on innovative materials design: Circularity
2025-04-28 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
The Master of Materiomics presents:
5 expert lectures on innovative materials design
Circularity
Insights into new biorefinery opportunities: valorizing biomass towards advanced functional materials
by Prof. dr. Wouter Marchal (Hasselt University, Analytical and Circular Chemistry) Time: 18h-19h30 (CEST). Online or on campus in auditorium H3
All lectures can be followed online.
Location of the lectures:
Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via https://forms.gle/VxGQnURjkE7d5xvf8
Participants receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, please contact materiomics@uhasselt.be
Flyer Materialize the future 2025

UHasselt Materiomics expert lectures on innovative materials design: Computational Methods
2025-05-05 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
The Master of Materiomics presents:
5 expert lectures on innovative materials design
Computational Methods
Personal reflections on the past and future of the dialogue between experiment and (ab initio) computation
by Prof. dr. Stefaan Cottenier (UGent, Center for molecular modeling) Time: 18h-19h30 (CEST). Online or on campus in auditorium H3
All lectures can be followed online.
Location of the lectures:
Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via https://forms.gle/VxGQnURjkE7d5xvf8
Participants receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, please contact materiomics@uhasselt.be
Flyer Materialize the future 2025

UHasselt Materiomics expert lectures on innovative materials design: Quantum
2025-05-12 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
The Master of Materiomics presents:
5 expert lectures on innovative materials design
Quantum
Quantum sensors from lab to space: Diamonds as the future of earth observation
by dr. Jaroslav Hruby (Hasselt University, Materials physics & OSCAR-QUBE and OSCAR-PINQ projects) Time: 18h-19h30 (CEST). Online or on campus in auditorium H3.
All lectures can be followed online.
Location of the lectures:
Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via https://forms.gle/VxGQnURjkE7d5xvf8
Participants receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, please contact materiomics@uhasselt.be
Flyer Materialize the future 2025

Antwerp Young Minds - Panel discussion on alternative interpretations in quantum mechanics and other open questions
2025-05-16 18:00 - 22:00 UTC | UAntwerpen, Campus Groenenborger, room G.T.105, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerpen, Antwerpen, 2020, Belgium
The quantum theory has known a very successful first 100 years in terms of describing various phenomena and predicting new ones. The math behind it is solid and new technological advancements are leading a second quantum revolution. However, despite the numerous successes, some fundamental questions remain open:

What is the nature of the wave function?
What are the physics of a wave function collapse in a measurement process?
Why do we experience the world so classically and how far can we push quantum effects?
What about the alternative interpretations in quantum mechanics?

While important, these questions are usually only discussed briefly in the usual physics curriculum, if discussed at all. Therefore, in light of the 100th anniversary, the Antwerp Young Minds will be organising a panel discussion around these fundamental questions. Several experts will be given the stage to discuss various interpretations and open problems in a moderated debate. The panel members are:

Hans De Raedt (University of Groningen) is a computational physicist specialized in simulating quantum systems on classical computers. His work includes alternative explanations for violations of Bell inequalities.
Ward Struyve (KU Leuven and University of Antwerp) is a physicist and philosopher of physics. He worked on Bohmian mechanics in the context of relativistic physics and quantum cosmology and the problem of arrival times in quantum mechanics.
Pieter Thyssen (UC Liège) is a philosopher of science who focused on the study of Einstein’s block universe and the philosophy of chemistry.
Jacques Tempere (University of Antwerp) has a broad interest in quantum many body physics, in particular on the description of these complex systems with path integrals.
Dirk Van Dyck (University of Antwerp) is an expert in electron microscopy who in particular has expertise in statistical methods at the quantum level.
Franck Laloë (Kastler-Brossel Laboratory, Paris): is a physicist known for his quantum mechanics textbook and he has done work on spontaneous (wave function) collapse theories, as well as on the pilot-wave theory of quantum mechanics.

Practical details:

Time: Friday the 16th of May, 18h doors, 18h30 discussion. Reception afterwards.
Place: Universiteit Antwerpen, Campus Groenenborger, room G.T.105.
Online meeting possible as well. (Link per mail after registering.)

Registration via the following form is required: https://forms.office.com/e/rDgGFAGk7B.
You can also submit questions there.

See you there!
Antwerp Young Minds
Questions/remarks? Contact us on youngminds@uantwerpen.be

UHasselt Materiomics expert lectures on innovative materials design: Health
2025-05-19 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
The Master of Materiomics presents:
5 expert lectures on innovative materials design
Health
Modeling in health and medicine
by Prof. dr. Wilfried Langenaeker (Guest Professor at Hasselt University Materiomics & Head of Informatics & Predictive Modeling at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson)
Time: 19h30-21h (CEST). Online or on campus in auditorium H3.
All lectures can be followed online.
Location of the lectures:
Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via https://forms.gle/VxGQnURjkE7d5xvf8
Participants receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, please contact materiomics@uhasselt.be
Flyer Materialize the future 2025

Belgian Physical Society general scientific meeting 2025
2025-05-28 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Auditoires Croix du Sud – Louvain-la-Neuve, place Croix du Sud, Louvain-la-neuve, 1348, Belgium
View the full programme and Book of Abstracts

General Program
8:30 Registration and coffee
9:00 – 12:30 Plenary session
9:00 Welcome address
9:10 Plenary lecture 1 – Dr Antoine Browaeys Assembling quantum matter one atom at a time
10:00 Plenary lecture 2 – Prof. Tim Palmer Chaos, noise and uncertainty: enemies or allies for predicting weather and climate?
10:50 Coffee break
11:15-12:25 Young Speaker Contest
11:15 Introduction of the European Physical Journal (EPJ)
11:25 Elena Petrova (KULeuven) High-frequency waves in the upper solar atmosphere as observed by Solar Orbiter/EUI
11:45 Anupama K Xavier (KMI) Comparative predictability of eastern and western north pacific blocking events
12:05 Jonathan Mauro (UCLouvain) Model-agnostic interpretation of the first KM3NeT Ultra-High-Energy event within the Global Neutrino Landscape
12:25 Conference picture
12:30 – 14:30 Walking lunch and posters
14:30 – 17:15 Parallel sessions (14:30-15:45 & 16:00-17:15)(see below for the full programme of the parallel sessions)

Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Plasma Physics
Condensed Matter and Nanostructure Physics
Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology
Fundamental Interactions, Nuclear and Particle Physics
Atoms, Molecules, Optics and Photonics
Biological, Medical, Statistical and Mathematical Physics
Physics and Education

17:30 – 18:30 Closing ceremony: Master Thesis, Best Poster & Young Speaker prizes and reception

Plenary lectures
Dr Antoine Browaeys, Research Director CNRS, Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d’Optique and Université Paris-Saclay (France)
“Assembling quantum matter one atom at a time”
Over the last twenty years, physicists have learned to manipulate individual quantum objects: atoms, ions, molecules, quantum circuits, electronic spins… It is now possible to build “atom by atom” a synthetic quantum matter. By controlling the interactions between atoms, one can study the properties of these elementary many-body systems: quantum magnetism, transport of excitations, superconductivity… and thus understand more deeply the N-body problem. More recently, it was realized that these quantum machines may find applications in the industry, such as finding the solution of combinatorial optimization problems.
This seminar will present an example of a synthetic quantum system, based on laser-cooled ensembles of individual atoms trapped in microscopic optical tweezer arrays. By exciting the atoms into Rydberg states, we make them interact, even at distances of more than ten micrometers. In this way, we study the magnetic properties of an ensemble of more than a hundred interacting ½ spins, in a regime in which simulations by usual numerical methods are already very challenging. Some aspects of this research led to the creation of a startup, Pasqal.
Antoine Browaeys is a research director of the CNRS at the Charles Fabry laboratory, Institut d’Optique, France. He is one of the pioneers of quantum computing and simulation with arrays of individually controlled ultracold atoms excited to very high Rydberg states. The start-up Pasqal, which he co-founded in 2019, is now steering fundamental research in quantum simulation towards industrial applications. The French Academy of Sciences has awarded Antoine Browaeys the Alfred Verdaguer – Fondation de l’Institut de France 2021 prize, and elected him as a member of the Institut de France in 2023. He also received the CNRS Silver Medal in 2021.
Prof. Tim Palmer, Oxford University, Royal Society Research Professor in Climate Physics, Senior Alumni Fellow, Oxford Martin Institute; Professorial Fellow at Jesus College (United Kingdom)
“Chaos, noise and uncertainty: enemies or allies for predicting weather and climate?”
The solutions to the physical equations that govern the dynamics of weather and climate exhibit chaotic behavior. In this lecture, Prof. Palmer will explore how chaos, noise, and uncertainty, initially seen as obstacles, can be exploited as constructive resources to enhance prediction capabilities from days to decades.
Prof. Tim Palmer is a Royal Society Research Professor in Climate Physics and a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Martin Institute. He has significantly contributed to advance our understanding of climate predictability and extreme event forecasting. He pioneered ensemble methods for uncertainty prediction and has developed practical applications of climate forecasts for public health, agriculture, and flood management. Tim Palmer’s recent work focuses on high-resolution climate simulations. He has been recognized by his election to the US National Academy of Sciences in 2020. He recently authored “The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic World” (Oxford University Press, 2022).

Parallel sessions - click on the session to see the full programme
Please click on the titles below to see the full programme of that session.

Earth & Planetary Sciences and Plasma Physics
Chairs: Kristel Crombé (UGent) and François Massonnet (UCLouvain)
Parallel session
14:30 Laurent Masse (CEA, France) Inertial Confinement Fusion: Ignition and What Next?
15:00 Yangyang Zhang (UGent) Bayesian Techniques for Optimization of Nuclear Diagnostics: A Case Study on the WEST Tokamak
15:15 Alexander Haumann (Alfred Wegener Institute/Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany) What goes around comes around: A changing Southern Ocean
15:45 break
16:00 Benjamin Richaud (UCLouvain) Does increased spatial resolution improve the simulation of Antarctic sea ice?
16:15 Eva Lemaire (UCLouvain) Investigating Iceberg–Sea Ice Interactions in the Southern Ocean Using NEMO-ICB
16:30 Jerome Sauer (UCLouvain) Extreme Arctic sea ice lows investigated with a rare event algorithm
16:45 Noé Pirlet (UCLouvain) Impact of a representation of Antarctic landfast ice on the shelf water properties simulated by NEMO4-SI³
17:00 Antoine Honet (ULB) Estimation of atmospheric lifetime and emissions of NH3 sources from 15 years of satellite data
Posters
Feba Francis (UCLouvain) Antarctic Sea Ice Response to Wind Perturbation Experiments
Annelies Sticker (UCLouvain) Drivers of Arctic Rapid Sea Ice Loss Events in CESM2
Alison Delhasse (UCLouvain) Towards improved seasonal to interannual predictions of Arctic sea ice through Data Assimilation and dedicated reanalysis
Alexandre Tytgat (UCLouvain) Block minima modeling of Antarctic’s sea ice extent extremes
Michel Crucifix (UCLouvain) The WarmAnoxia project
Augustin Lambotte (UCLouvain) Arctic landfast ice simulation with brittle rheology and probabilistic grounding
Patricia DeRepentigny (UCLouvain) How predictable was the recent decade-long pause in Arctic summer sea ice retreat?
Pierre Dumortier (ERM/KMS) 40 Years of ICRF Operation on JET: Achievements and Challenges
Dirk Van Eester (ERM/KMS) Almost-off-the-shelf tools for ICRH modelling
Dirk Van Eester (ERM/KMS) ICRH modelling of the Baseline D-T scenario in JET
Bernard Reman (ERM/KMS) Integral dielectric kernel implementation to model RF heating in toroidal plasmas
Arthur Adriaens (ERM/KMS) Predicting Wall Conditioning
Luis Daniel López Rodríguez (ERM/KMS) Characterization of a microwave reflectometer for edge density profile measurements at the ICRH antenna on Wendelstein 7-X
Cyrille Sepulchre (EPFL) Suprathermal ion transport and toroidal helicon wave studies in the low-temperature plasma device TORPEX

Condensed Matter and Nanostructure Physics
Chairs: Clément Merckling (KULeuven/IMEC) and Benoît Hackens (UCLouvain)
Parallel session
14:30 Maëlle Kapfer (Univ. Paris-Saclay, France) Programming twist angle and strain gradient in two-dimensional materials
15:00 Oriane de Leuze (UCLouvain) Charge transport in 2D flakes networks: the case of Ti3C2Tx
15:15 Yaojia Wang (KU Leuven) Supercurrent interference in a kagome superconductor
15:30 Amirmostafa Amirjani (KU Leuven) Inverse design of plasmonic metasurface using machine learning
15:45 break
16:00 Vincent Meunier (Pennsylvania State University, USA) Electromechanical coupling at the nanoscale: The ubiquitous case of flexoelectricity
16:30 Danny Vanpoucke (U Hasselt) Straining group-IV color centers in diamond: Using density functional theory to model the Zero-Phonon-Line shift
16:45 Matthew Houtput (U Antwerpen) First principles theory of nonlinear long-range electron-phonon interaction
17:00 Simon Dubois (UCLouvain) Inference based model Hamiltonians balancing accuracy, interpretability and data efficiency
Posters
Serghei Klimin (U Antwerpen) Analytic Methods for Polarons in a Non-Parabolic Conduction Band
Wu Heng (KU Leuven) The global critical current effect of superconductivity
Diego Fossion (UCLouvain) Properties of Kondo cloud modulations in quantum dots coupled to cavities
Pauline Castenetto (U Hasselt) Identification and characterisation of the reaction path of β-O-4 dimerisation of monolignols by means of first-principles calculations
Aylin Melan (U Hasselt) From DFT to GW: Benchmarking the Electronic Structure of Diamond
Lisa Siciliani (Sciensano/U Antwerpen) Physicochemical characterisation of iron oxides and hydroxides applied as food additive E 172
Emerick Y. Guillaume (U Namur) Multiscale modelling of LTO PVD growth
Fernando Massa Fernandes (UCLouvain) Real-time gas sensing with lead-sulfide quantum-dots
Thijs van Wijk (U Hasselt) Calculating the vibrational spectrum of the GeV defect in Diamond
Célia Delaive (ULiège) Creating NOON states with ultracold atoms using time crystals
Michael Tzvetkov (UCLouvain) Study of out-of-plane electronic transport in multilayer graphene films by C-AFM
Sofiane Arib (UCLouvain) Estimation of electrical conductivity anisotropy in MXenes by CAFM modeling
Arnaud Dochain (UCLouvain) Observation of fast atom diffraction through suspended graphene
Valentin Fonck (UCLouvain) A Scanning Thermal Microscope at cryogenic temperatures

Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology
Chairs: Juan Antonio Aguilar Sánchez (ULB/WISC) and Gwenhaël Wilberts Dewasseige (UCLouvain)
Parallel session
14:30 Aart Heijboer (NIKHEF/University of Amsterdam) Observation of the first ultra-high energy cosmic neutrino
15:00 Soumen Roy (UCLouvain) Parametrized test of general relativity with gravitational waves including higher harmonics and precession
15:20 Leonardo Ricca (UCLouvain) Multi-Messenger Search for Neutrino and Gravitational-Wave Emissions from Binary Black Holes Near Active Galactic Nuclei
15:40 Jef Heynen (UCLouvain) Using the null stream to detect strongly lensed gravitational waves
16:00 break
16:15 Emile Moyaux (UCLouvain) Neutrino energy distributions of astrophysical sources: the GRB example
16:35 Nhan Chau (ULB) Dark matter search in the Galactic Center with IceCube Upgrade
16:55 Guillaume Lhost (UMons) Late inspiral of eccentric asymmetric binaries
Posters
Eliot Genton (UCLouvain) Prospective Sensitity to WIMP Dark Matter with the IceCube Upgrade
Christoph Raab (UCLouvain) Low-latency neutrino follow-up combining diverse IceCube selections
Mathieu Lamoureux (UCLouvain) Multi-messenger astrophysics with the ACME consortium
Marco Scarnera (UCLouvain/Université Paris Cité) Probing neutrino yield from different gamma-ray burst populations using the entire ANTARES data set
Thomas Delmeulle (ULB) Studying Muon Bundles for Improved EHE Neutrino Identification in IceCube
Marine Vilarino (ULB) Cosmic Ray Simulation for Background Rate Estimation in the ARA Detector using the FAERIE Framework

Fundamental Interactions, Nuclear and Particle Physics
Chairs: Nick Van Remortel (UAntwerpen) and Alberto Mariotti (ULB)
Parallel Session
14:30 Agi Koszorus (KULeuven, invited) Laser spectroscopy of radioactive probes: study of the nuclear force and searches for new physics
15:05 Martin Delcourt (CERN) How Belgium is ensuring the CMS tracker data performance
15:25 Aloke Kumar Das (ULB) The Belgian contribution to the CMS Silicon Strip Tracker Upgrade
15:45 break
15:55 Sumaira Ikram (UCLouvain) Development of a portable particle detector for imaging with cosmic ray muons
16:15 Felipe Figueroa Vilar del Valle (UMons) Dual Models revisited: A bootstrap perspective
16:35 ZeQiang Wang (UCLouvain) The Brief Talk of τ g-2 for Future Colliders
16:55 Cyrille Chevalier (UMons) Glueballs with two and three constituent gluons within the helicity formalism
Posters
Arjun Chaliyath (CERN) High precision automated metrology of the 2S modules for the CMS phase-II tracker upgrade
Dora Geeraerts (VUB) The ScIDEP Muon Radiography Project at the Egyptian Pyramid of Khafre
Zahraa Zaher (UCLouvain) Differentiable Optimization of Muon Scattering Tomography Detector Designs

Atoms, Molecules, Optics and Photonics
Chairs: Tatevik Chalyan (VUB) and Matthieu Génévriez (UCLouvain)
Parallel session
14:30 John Fourkas (University of Maryland, USA) Is visible light the way forward for cutting-edge nanolithography?
15:00 Spencer Jolly (ULB) Propagation of space-time optical beams in multimode fibers
15:15 Sélim Chaabani (Uliège) Going to 2.1 µm for Space Quantum Key Distribution
15:30 Julien Grondin (UCLouvain) Construction and Characterization of a Ca Magneto-Optical Trap for Rydberg Physics
15:45 break
16:00 Robbe Van Duyse (KU Leuven) High precision optical spectroscopy using trapped Sr ions
16:15 Alexandr Bogomolov (UCLouvain) High resolution spectrum of D2O-CO2 van der Waals complex around the 3OD vibrational excitation
16:30 Mhamad Hantro (UMons) Impact of Higher Order Effects in the Far-field for Dipole‐Forbidden Transitions near Plasmonic Structures
16:45 Adrien Debacq (UNamur) Finite-Difference Time-Domain Analysis of Stimulated Emission in NZI Materials
17:00 Sébastien Mouchet (UMons) Nature-Inspired Strategies for Infrared Control and Thermal Insulation
Posters
Arthémise Altman (UCLouvain) Spectroscopy of methanol in the near-infrared at the 10-13 level
Yves Caudano UNamur) Weak values as stereographic projections
Simon Dengis (ULiège) NOON states creation with ultracold atoms via geodesic counterdiabatic driving
Julien Bouchat (UNamur) Weak measurements and Goos-Hänchen effects in the case of uniaxial anisotropic media
Alisée Bouillon (UCLouvain) Electron transfer between ultra-long range Rydberg molecules and heavy-Rydberg molecules
Steve Smeets (UMons) Two-photon molecular emitters enhanced with nanoantennas
Hippolyte Stassart (Uliège) Study of the optical coupling between luminescent quantum dots and gold nanorods
Loris Cavenaile (UMons) Achieving Optical Transparency: Simulations of Light Scattering in Biological Tissues
Simon Collignon (UCLouvain) Rest frequency determination of the 12.2 GHz methanol maser line with sub-kHz accuracy
Xavier Urbain (UCLouvain) Resolving the fine structure branching ratio in K– photodetachment

Biological, Medical, Statistical and Mathematical Physics
Chairs: Bart Cleuren (UHasselt) and Edmond Sterpin (UCLouvain)
14:30 Enrico Carlon (KU Leuven) DNA Topology: from single molecules to chromosomal structure
15:00 Bram Carlier (KU Leuven) Towards in vivo radiation sensing using radiation-sensitive ultrasound contrast agents
15:30 Charlotte Rossi (U Namur) TOF-SIMS as a tool to study the alteration of membrane lipids in breast cancer cells after X-Ray and UHDR proton irradiation
15:45 Khalil El Achi (UCLouvain) Design of a new 2D amorphous Silicon-based detector for Particle Therapy
Posters
Éléonore Martin (UMONS) Monte Carlo study of high-field transverse relaxation induced by iron oxide nanoparticles coated by a slow water diffusion layer
Gijs Vanoppen (U Hasselt) Electrical stress on metallic nanoring based networks for flexible transparent electrodes

Physics and Education
Chair: Gabriel Dias de Carvalho Junior (UCLouvain)
14:30 Michaël Lobet (UNamur) Interaction between students and AI in a physics course: Towards modelling a learning practice
15:00 Carlos Fiolhais (Coimbra University) “The Fun of Physics”: a book for informal education
15:45 break
16:00 Anna Benecke (UCLouvain) The Physics Project Days – A workshop to promote gender equality in physics
16:25 Brigitte Van Tiggelen (Science History Institute, Philadelphia) “Women in their element” – What happens when the history of the periodic system focuses on women?
16:50 Gabriel Dias de Carvalho Junior (UNamur, UCLouvain) and Elsa Tartinville (UCLouvain)Understanding Nuclear Physics at different stages or education: looking for operational invariants

The Belgian Physical Society General Scientific Meeting 2025 is supported by

UHasselt Materiomics expert lectures on innovative materials design: Energy
2025-06-05 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
The Master of Materiomics presents:
5 expert lectures on innovative materials design
Energy
Carrier-resolved Photo Hall Effect
by Prof. dr. Byungha Shin (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) Time: 19h30-21h (CEST). Online or on campus in auditorium H3.
Organised in collaboration with the MRS/E-MRS joint chapter of Hasselt University
All lectures can be followed online.
Location of the lectures:
Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Participation is free, but registration is mandatory via https://forms.gle/VxGQnURjkE7d5xvf8
Participants receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, please contact materiomics@uhasselt.be
Flyer Materialize the future 2025

2025 European School on Magnetism
2025-06-30 09:00 - 2025-07-11 17:00 UTC | Liege, Belgium
ESM 2025 will be held from 30 June to 11 July 2025, in mixed format, both onsite in Liège, Belgium, and online. The topic is Topology for low energy spintronics. Activities consist of lectures (40h), question sessions, practicals and tutorials, career and industry perspectives, access to a Library on Magnetism.
Subscribe to the mailing list and subscribe to @ESM_school to stay tuned.

Email: esm@magnetism.eu
Bertrand Dupé (Local Chair)
Claire Donnelly and Stuart Cavill (General Chairs of ESM)

UHasselt summer school Materiomics
2025-07-07 09:00 - 2025-07-09 17:00 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
Materiomics: Innovative materials from healthcare across quantum to sustainable technologies
International summer school
Hasselt University is pleased to invite you to participate in our three-day international summer school, aimed at 2nd and 3rd bachelor students with a background in physics or chemistry. The summer school will take place at Hasselt University (Diepenbeek, Belgium) from July 7 to July 9.
This summer school will introduce you to state-of-the-art research in materials science, with a focus on:
• Innovative materials for energy generation, storage, and efficiency
• Sustainable materials for circular processes
• High-tech materials for quantum technologies
• Advanced materials for innovative healthcare.
The scientific program is alternated with social activities and networking opportunities.
In the summer school, several topics on innovative materials design are addressed by professors and researchers of Hasselt University as well as guest speakers from the working field (BIO INX, VITO, ePotentia) and the Silesian University of Technology (Poland). After the welcome on the first day, lectures on materials for energy generation, storage, and efficiency will be given, and a visit to the labs of EnergyVille is scheduled in the afternoon. The second day is devoted to materials for quantum technologies and sustainable materials. The final day includes lectures and a hands-on session to generate insights into materials for innovative healthcare. There will also be a poster session so you can learn about materials research at Hasselt University and its Institute for Materials Research.
More information and the after-movie of last year can be found here
The fee to attend the summer school is only 50 euros and includes coffee breaks, lunches, bus transportation to Energyville, and social activities. Funding for your stay is possible. If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to materiomics@uhasselt.be by May 7. From all submissions, 25 candidates will be chosen to participate in the summer school.
We hope to welcome you in July!
The UHasselt team of the master in materiomics

KU Leuven Summer of Science
2025-07-28 09:00 - 2025-08-01 17:00, 2025-08-04 09:00 - 2025-08-08 17:00 UTC | KU Leuven Arenberg Science Campus, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
Starting on Monday, you will dive into your scientific topic of choice under guidance of experienced researchers. In the evenings, you can unwind with fun activities organized by current KU Leuven students, and stay overnight in student dorms. (There is also an option not to stay on-campus during the program.) By the end of the summer school on Friday, you will be an expert on your topic!
This new summer school gives you a perfect opportunity to learn, sample, and perform real science as a researcher for a week. This summer school is open to all high school students; its primary audience is Flemish high school students. However, the courses (and this website) are in English as most of the teachers are researchers of international origin. Teachers who are fluent in Dutch are indicated on the Course page.

Belgian-Dutch nuclear summer school
2025-08-25 08:00 - 2025-08-29 17:00 UTC | SCK-CEN, Boeretang 200, Mol, Belgium
Belgian-Dutch nuclear summer school – your gateway to a career in nuclear
The nuclear landscape in Belgium and the Netherlands is evolving, creating a growing demand for competent professionals who can safely manage nuclear applications and drive research in optimization and innovation. To address this need, both countries are collaborating to establish joint initiatives that ensures a well-equipped workforce for the future.
As part of this effort, this BeNe Summer School connects future professionals with experts in the field, providing essential knowledge on nuclear sciences, industry applications, advanced study opportunities, and career prospects.
It also fosters direct engagement with experienced professionals, offering insights into nuclear operations.
The program is limited to 40 participants, ensuring an interactive and immersive experience.
Registration is free of charge—all costs related to lectures, logistics, accommodation, and meals will be covered by the organizers and sponsors.
Before being able to register, candidates are required to submit

a short CV detailing their educational background
a motivation letter explaining their interest in the program

by e-mail to academy@sckcen.be before the deadline of June 3, 2025.
An Evaluation and Selection Committee will decide who will finally be allowed to participate to the School and formally register via the dedicated SCK CEN website and complete their personal data in order to gain access to the nuclear facilities.
All selected participants will be requested to comply with the schedule and deadlines below:

June 3, 2025 – Deadline for submission of the candidate’s application
June 11, 2025 – Deadline for the selection of applications by the selection committee
June 18, 2025 – Inform the applicants about the decision of selection committee (the latest)
June 25, 2025 – Deadline registration for selected participants

Belgian Crystallography Symposium
2025-09-05 09:00 - 17:00 UTC | Antwerpen
BCS-13 is organized on Sept 5th 2025 at KULeuven.
Joint event with FNRS Contact Group “Synchrotron radiation”.
It will be the occasion to celebrate our colleague Prof. Luc Van Meervelt.

The preliminary program is available here.

Registration is open using this link.

Young Minds Physics Quiz 2025
2025-10-23 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | Auditoire Sciences A.04, Louvain-la-Neuve, Place des Sciences 2 L6.06.01, 1348 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Welcome to our Quiz Night event tailored for researchers. Get ready for an evening of fun, camaraderie, and intellectual challenge as we test your knowledge across various topics!

Join us for an exciting Quiz Night specially designed to engage researchers in a friendly and competitive atmosphere. This event offers an opportunity to unwind, socialize with fellow researchers, and showcase your knowledge across a range of topics. Whether you’re a seasoned quizzer or just looking to have some fun, everyone is welcome to participate!

UHasselt Einsteintelescoop Roadshow
2025-11-07 10:00 - 2025-11-27 21:00 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
UHasselt host tussen 7-27 november 2025 als allereerste academische instelling de Einsteintelescoop Roadshow. In dit publieksprogramma dat werd utigewerkt samen met het Einsteintelescoop projectbureau, wensen zij het brede publiek informeren over de Einsteintelescoop – de nieuwe generatie zwaartekrachtsgolfdetector die mogelijk op het drielandenpunt België-Nederland-Duitsland zal worden gebouwd. Bezoekers zullen op onze UHasselt-campus in Diepenbeek een interactieve expo kunnen bezoeken en er zijn verschillende lezingen, workshops en shows voorzien voor jong en oud.
Deelname aan alle activiteiten is volledig gratis.

ET-woensdagen op 12, 19 en 26 november telkens van 10h00 tot 21h00

Maak een (VR-)reis door de Einsteintelescoop Expo (doorlopend open)
Vervolledig je dag met een lezing, workshop en meer (specifieke tijdstippen)
Geschikt voor alle leeftijden.

ET-avondprogramma op vrijdag 14 november van 18h00 to 22h00

Bezoek de ET expo wanneer het donker is (doorlopend)
Woon een academische lezing bij
Ga in gesprek met onderzoekers van de Einsteintelescoop
Ontdek ons sterrenstelsel met een digitale telescoop
Voor alle leeftijden vanaf 15 jaar.

Dag vol weETjes op zondag 23 november van 10h00 tot 17h00

Bezoek de Einsteintelescoop Expo tijdens de Dag van de Wetenschap
Volg een volledige dag aan ET-lezingen en -workshops
Ga met Einstein zelf op zoek naar nog meer mooie wetenschap
Geschikt voor alle leeftijden

Registratie en meer info via de link.
Aan UHasselt wordt op verschillende manier onderzoek gedaan naar de Einsteintelescoop, in samenwerking met verschillende partners:

Fysici en kwantumwetenschappers werken mee aan diverse testprotocols, zoals het E-TEST-project.
Energie-ingenieurs onderzoeken duurzame energie voor de Einsteintelescoop.
Economen analyseren de socio-economische impact van de Einsteintelescoop.
Rechtswetenschappers bestuderen de juridische uitdagingen van grensoverschrijdende ET-samenwerking.
Design-wetenschappers brengen aan de hand van participatie-onderzoek de verwachtingen van burgers in kaart.
Fysici en industriële ingenieur-onderzoekers ontwikkelden mee de technische infrastructuur voor de Einsteintelescoop.
Datawetenschappers zijn betrokken bij diverse voorbereidende projecten rond de Einsteintelescoop.

IEEE Photonics BeNeLux Annual Symposium 2025
2025-11-20 18:00 - 2025-11-21 16:15 UTC | ULB Salle Dupréel, 44 avenue Jeanne, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
The 29th edition of the annual symposium of the IEEE Photonics Benelux Chapter takes place at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. On November 20th and 21th, an exciting program will be offered to you, focusing on the developments in the field of photonics. These developments will be approached from different angles, ranging from the fundamentals to applications and industrialization. To offer such a program, highly interesting invited speakers will present their work. On top of that, the program consists of parallel sessions for submitted papers, poster sessions and an exhibition with companies.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Brussels.
Martin Virte, Serge Massar and Stéphane Clemmen

Ciné-Science Premier Contact
2025-11-26 19:00 - 22:30 UTC | ULiège campus Opéra, 3 place de la République Française, Liège, 4000, Belgium
How to communicate with extraterrestrials about whom we know nothing? How and why would they come to Earth? These are the central questions at the heart of the plot in the film Arrival (Fr: “Premier Contact”), which we invite you to watch or rewatch, alongside our experts, François Desset (Linguist, ULiège) and Yaël Nazé (Astrophysicist, ULiège), who will answer all your questions after the screening. The event is free, and a drink is provided to encourage informal discussion. The screening will be in French, at the ULiège Opera campus (3 pl. de la République Française in Liège). The film will start at 19:00, followed by the expert debate from 21:00, and the drink reception will run until 22:30.
More information and registration : Registration link

Young Minds PhD Seminar 2025
2025-12-11 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | CYCL 03, Chemin du Cyclotron 2, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
The Young Minds of UCLouvain are happy to invite you to its December 2025 seminar. This time, four PhD students have agreed to present and answer all your questions about their work.

This event offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to discover some of the research directions existing in our university. It is also an interesting event for other PhD students and experienced researchers to get a better understanding of the research that is happening within other institutes and maybe initiate some interdisciplinary project !
In addition to the four talks, a poster session will allow everyone to take part into discussions on more various research topics.

Wetenschapscafé Kempen: Einsteintelescoop
2026-01-15 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | Tabloo, Gravenstraat 3, Dessel, 2480
Na het overdonderende succes van het eerste seizoen, maakt Wetenschapscafé Kempen zich op voor negen nieuwe lezingen. Elke lezing gaat door in Tabloo, Dessel. Deelnemen is gratis, maar we vragen je wel om op voorhand in te schrijven. Zo weten we hoeveel stoelen we mogen klaarzetten!

Einsteintelescoop

door Wim Walk
Drie landen (België, Nederland en Duitsland) hebben de handen in elkaar geslagen en zich kandidaat gesteld om de nieuwste en grootste zwaartekrachtgolfdetector te bouwen op het drielandenpunt: de Einsteintelescoop. Wim, technologiemanager voor Nederland, geeft meer uitleg over het project en over wat zwaartekrachtgolven zijn.
15 januari 2026 om 19.30 uur

Reserveer je ticket

Debatavond over kernergie en de toepasssingsmogelijkheden van de kernwetenschappen
2026-01-19 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Paleis der Academiën, Hertogsstraat 1, Brussel, 1000, Belgium
SCK CEN – Nuclear energy towards 2050
PanTera: A better fight for life – Een faciliteit voor productie van 225Ac op grote schaal
Op 19 januari 2026 om 18u presenteert de Koningklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen (KVAB) vanuit de Reflectiegroep Energie de perspectieven die het SCK CEN, het Belgisch nucleair onderzoekscentrum Mol voor ons land biedt op het vlak van de kernergie en de toepasssingsmogelijkehden van de kernwetenschappen.
SCK CEN (Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie) is het Belgische nucleaire onderzoekscentrum in Mol, een expertisecentrum dat zich bezighoudt met onderzoek, dienstverlening en opleiding in kernenergie en ioniserende straling voor vreedzame toepassingen, zoals veiligheid, afvalbeheer, medische toepassingen (kankerbestrijding), en de ontwikkeling van nieuwe technologieën zoals Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s).
Het Belgische nucleaire onderzoekscentrum SCK CEN en IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), de wereldleider in deeltjesversnellertechnologie kondigen met trots de naam van hun nieuwe joint venture aan: Pantera SA/NV. Die joint venture geeft nieuwe perspectieven, en daarmee nieuwe hoop, aan kankerpatiënten.
Deze debatavond zal doorgaan in de Rubenszaal van de Academie, Hertogsstraat 1, Brussel

Programma

18u00: Inleiding door Ivo Van Vaerenbergh, Voorzitter KVAB/Reflectiegroep Energie.
18u10: “Nuclear energy towards 2050” door Prof.Dr.Ir.Peter Baeten, Directeur-generaal SCK CEN
18u40: “PanTera: A better fight for life – Een faciliteit voor productie van 225Ac op grote schaal” door Dr.Ir. Sven Van den Berghe, CEO Pantera,
19u10u: Interactief Panelgesprek met de sprekers en een expert
Moderator: Ivo Van Vaerenbergh
20u00 Einde

Deelnemen is gratis, maar registratie vooraf is verplicht.

UAntwerpen Spectrumlezing: Blik op oneindig met de Einstein Telescoop
2026-02-05 14:15 - 15:20 UTC | UAntwerp, Antwerpen, 2000, Belgium
Blik op oneindig met de Einstein Telescoop
UAntwerpen Spectrumlezing door Nick Van Remortel (UAntwerpen | fysica | elementaire deeltjes)
Mogelijkheid tot bezoek aan de expo
Universiteit Antwerpen | Campus Groenenborger
Geen voorkennis nodig
Gratis
Inschrijven verplicht | enkel via de website | vanaf 19/1

STEM HER way : parcours, défis et avancées
2026-02-11 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | ULB Campus Solbosch, Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 50, Bruxelles, Belgium
À l’occasion de la journée internationale des femmes et filles de science, célébrée chaque année le 11 février, la cellule Gender Polyt-Equity de l’École polytechnique de Bruxelles (EPB) organise une conférence sur le campus du Solbosch (ULB). L’événement mettra à l’honneur 3 oratrices scientifiques.
[Auditoire S.UB4.132 : Campus du Solbosch]

Women and Girls in Science @ University of Namur
2026-02-12 09:00 - 17:00 UTC | University of Namur, Rosalin Franklin Auditorium, rue Grafé 2, Namur, 5000, Belgium
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science takes place every 11th of February, following the declaration by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 22nd of December 2015.
This annual event aims at promoting the access of women and girls to science and technology as well as their full and fair participation. It reminds the important role of women in the scientific community and constitutes a great opportunity to encourage girls and young women to participate in the scientific developments.
12 February 2026 | 6th edition
Our 2026 keynote speakers are
Pr. Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke (University of Gent) and Pr. Nelly Litvak (Eindhoven University of Technology)
At 16:30 – Join our panel session for Women and Girls in Science!
The pannel session will feature former committee members: sharing experiences, insights, and perspectives on advancing women’s roles in science
Show your support in fostering equal opportunities to ALL genders in science and technology!

Young Minds Discussion Table 2026
2026-02-24 18:30 - 21:30 UTC | CYCL 03, Chemin du Cyclotron 2, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
Are you wondering what research in physics is really like? What does a PhD student’s life look like? Which master’s specialization should you choose?
Come and chat with PhD students from UCLouvain around six thematic tables:

Mathematical Physics
Climatology
Particle Physics (theoretical & experimental)
Atomic & Optical Physics
Gravitational Waves & Instrumentation

The concept? You spend 20 minutes at each table to learn more about the topics that interest you, and to ask your questions about PhD life (conferences abroad, teaching, daily routine, challenges of the PhD, etc.), then you go to the next table.
When? Tuesday, February 24, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Where? Cyclotron 02 & 03
No registration is required, and free snacks and drinks will be provided
Whether you are an undergraduate (especially third-year students with the choice of a master’s coming up) or a master’s student, this is the perfect time to demystify research and find out which topic might suit you.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Nuclear job fair
2026-02-26 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | UHasselt Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
A Nuclear Job Fair will be organised at UHasselt on February 26, 2026, and aims at introducing science and engineering students to available advanced education and training in nuclear themes, PhD and post-doc opportunities and to available jobs in nuclear industry, healthcare, governmental organizations and research centres.
