Our group works on the fields of theoretical cosmology and astroparticle physics with the goal of understanding the fundamental laws of the universe, exploiting synergies between astrophysical observations and laboratory experiments. This project would be embedded within UNDARK, a recently founded consortium funded by the EU “Widening participation and spreading excellence programme” (TWINNING project number 101159929). This consortium will carry out, from 2024 until 2027 and in collaboration with other partner institutions such as CERN, or the CNRS, an intense scientific and outreach program focused on shedding light on the so-called “dark universe”.

As we currently know from astrophysical observations, barely 18% of the total matter of the Cosmos is made up of the elements in atoms with which we are familiar, while the remaining 82%, termed dark matter, is the dominant type of matter in galaxies. In addition, all matter, ordinary and dark, currently only makes up 31% of the energy in the universe, with the rest being an even more mysterious component called dark energy which causes the universe as a whole to accelerate while it is expanding.

The research done in applied mathematics can be crucial to numerical simulations in other fields in physics and astrophysics, so the nature of my research is quite multidisciplinary since input from the field associated to the simulations is crucial to succeeding. On the other hand, the gravitational wave astronomy field is qualified as frontier research due to the complexity of the research in all the areas involved, from building of the detectors to modeling source and development of data analysis techniques. Understanding the universe and all their fascinating objects has always had a great impact in our society.

Our Institute is organized into three research pillars covering a wide range of chemical disciplines: Innovative Catalysis, Renewable Energies and Molecular Medicine. These are carefully designed to address global challenges, including energy, the environment, health, and materials. Aligning our research efforts with these critical areas, we seek to make meaningful contributions that drive positive change and create a sustainable future.

Imo-imomec is a joint research institute of Hasselt University (UHasselt) and imec where engineers, chemists and physicists conduct multidisciplinary materials research. We focus on advanced material systems for a sustainable and healthy society. Our core domains are energy, sustainable materials, sensors & healthcare materials, and quantum technologies. Imec performs world-leading research in nano-electronics and creates groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, and energy. UHasselt is a young university, but its education and research are well-regarded worldwide – with some excellent international ranking positions. UHasselt is ranked 35th out of 605 in the Times Higher Education ranking of the world’s best universities under 50 (years old), and it is ranked among the best 10 higher education institutions in the European Commission’s U-Multirank.

The Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik (PDI) is a research institute in Berlin, Germany. We perform basic and applied research at the nexus of materials science, condensed matter physics, and device engineering. The institute is part of the Forschungsverbund Berlin and a member of the Leibniz Association.

At PDI, we focus on the fabrication and analysis of nanomaterials for semiconductor technology. Since our foundation in 1992, we have been dedicated to the advancement of materials science, particularly in the development and application of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We have the expertise and facilities in-house to manage the entire process from growth of materials, to microstructural characterization, spectroscopic analysis, and theoretical modeling. PDI works closely with partners from science, industry and academia, and actively engages in the transfer of knowledge and technologies to the public. The institute is committed to advancing science through the training and education of young researchers.

For 150 years, the Cavendish Laboratory has been at the forefront of scientific discovery. Our researchers work at the frontier of physics, from experimental and theoretical through to applied physics in biology, biomedicine and the life sciences, and the physics of sustainability.
The core of the Laboratory’s programme has been, and continues to be, experimental physics, supported by excellence in theory. Much of our research and teaching has been driven by the desire to understand physics at its most basic level and to answer many of the ‘big questions’ in physics.

The Music Technology Group (MTG) of the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is an internationally recognized research group with 30 years of experience. The group is part of the Department of Information and Communications Technologies, and its research is especially active in topics such as audio signal processing, musical information retrieval, musical interfaces, and computational musicology. The group has extensive experience in research projects both nationally and internationally, and actively works in collaboration with industry. Some technology transfer success stories include Vocaloid, a singing voice synthesiser developed with Yamaha which gained great popularity around the world thanks to the virtual singer Hatsune Miku, and the commercial exploitation of the interactive instrument Reactable, developed at the MTG and used by many popular bands such as Bjork or Coldplay.

Research at Leiden Observatory spans the entire width of modern astrophysical enquiry. It is based on observation, theory, simulation, and experiment. Two broad clusters characterize the ongoing research. Within each theme, researchers carry out their personal and specialized research programme. The two clusters are: Galaxies, the structures in which they are embedded, Exoplanets, and the formation of stars and planets.

Galaxies and the structures in which they are embedded: Researchers at Leiden Observatory study the fundamental physics – the basic properties, materials and forces that create structure in the Universe. Which processes collect matter into galaxies and gas into stars? With the use of powerful telescopes advanced calculations, and computer simulations, astronomers seek to understand the origin, structure and evolution of galaxies in general and the Milky Way in particular. Through these structures, they try to uncover the unknown physics of dark matter and dark energy that takes up 95% of the Universe.

The Group of Lasers and Plasmas (GoLP) at Técnico explores the behavior of matter at the most extreme conditions in the Universe, from black holes and neutron stars to the focii of the most intense lasers or particle accelerators on Earth. In a unique combination of theory, experiments and numerical simulations, the three modern pillars of the scientific method, the group has a longstanding commitment with research in frontier questions in its field, grounded on a culture of entrepreneurship, creativity, and international collaboration, seeking and promoting outstanding scientific quality of its members, and has repeatedly proven its commitment to the scientific and technological development of Portugal and Europe. The Group’s aim is to be recognized as one of the best research groups in our field through the reputation of our researchers, the quality of our students, and the successes of our alumni.

Our group studies dipolar quantum gases made of Erbium (Er) and Dysprosium (Dy) atoms. These extraordinarily magnetic species are a powerful new resource for reaching quantum simulation with strong connectivity, in which each atom is coupled to the other over long distances, and exploring exotic phases of matter that have no classical counterpart.

We have three labs: the ERBIUM LAB, where Er was Bose condensed for the first time ever, the Er-Dy LAB which studies quantum dipolar mixtures under a quantum-gas microscope, and the T-Reqs LAB, where we trap Er atoms in arrays of optical tweezers for Rydberg physics. Recently, we have established a theoretical subdivision aimed at studying and predicting dipolar phenomena in dipolar quantum gases and mixtures.