Facilities

The University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in Italy and Europe. Among others, Nobel Prize-winning physicists Enrico Fermi and Carlo Rubbia studied there. It is consistently ranked among the world's best universities in its field. We will visit the laboratories of many affiliated institutions.

The University of Florence is the largest one in Tuscany. Its new department of Physics, placed in a scientific campus outside of the city, works closely with many research centres and institutions. Among its various research fields, a large group counducts studies in matter physics, in particular on biophotonics and quantum technologies.

The VIRGO interferometer hosted by the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) is a gravitational wave detector consisting of a massive Michelson laser interferometer. It is part of a global collaboration with LIGO and KAGRA that recently discovered Gravitational Waves.

The European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS) is an international and interdisciplinary structure in Florence. The main research lines are atomic physics, photonics, physical chemistry and biophysics. At LENS, we will see how physicists collaborate with chemists, biologists, and engineers to shape light for scientific, industrial, and medical purposes. We will learn how to stop light using photonic crystals, explore how light is used to unveil the secrets of the brain, and study —or even create— new materials.

The National Institute of Optics (INO) is a cornerstone of CNR’s scientific network, with nearly a century of work in optics—spanning everything from quantum physics to cultural heritage preservation. During your visit to CNR-INO, you’ll get to explore the Dysprosium Lab, where researchers dive into the mind-bending world of quantum matter. Here, scientists work with strongly magnetic atoms to investigate a quantum phase at the boundary between superfluids and crystals- the supersolid. Researchers use precision laser beams to control the atoms’ motion and interactions. Strong magnetic fields are applied to trigger crystallization, nudging the system into the exotic supersolid regime.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy (DFA) at the University of Florence is a leading center for research and education. It covers theoretical and experimental physics and collaborates with international institutions and major scientific projects. Its research groups explore all fields of physics, from subnuclear particles to astrophysical objects, condensed matter, and photonics. During our visit, we will explore laboratories dedicated to light and its interaction with matter. Here, physicists investigate ultracold atoms, Bose-Einstein condensates, quantum states of light, quantum cryptography, and many other fascinating topics.

NEST, the National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology, is an interdisciplinary research and training centre where physicists, chemists and biologists investigate scientific issues at the nanoscale. This knowledge is exploited to develop innovative nanobiotechnological tools, nanoelectronic and photonic devices and architectures.