Conferences

Guest speakers

We are happy to host professors, academics and other prominent figures working with light and light-based technologies. Here you will find the profiles of some of them (constantly updated) and some informations about their conferences.

• Camilla Coletti
  IIT and NEST
  

  Camilla Coletti is a tenured Senior Scientist of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and principal investigator of the research line 2D Materials Engineering. She is the coordinator of the Center for Nanotechnology Innovation of Pisa and of the Graphene Labs. Her research is currently focused on:

  1. (i) synthesis and integration of scalable 2D materials for electronics, photonics and quantum technologies
  2. (ii) engineering van der Waals heterostructures.
  In her work she applies her background of surface scientist to impact science and technology of 2D materials. She is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to several book chapters and holds 3 international patents.
  
  
• Camilla de Rossi
  European Gravitational Observatory and Advanced Virgo Auxiliary Laser System
  

  Camilla de Rossi is an experimental physicist with expertise in laser optics and gravitational wave detectors and technologist at the European Gravitational Observatory. As head of the Advanced Virgo Auxiliary Laser System, she contributes to the commissioning, control, and upgrade of the optical systems (INJ, PSL) aqnd the development of the AdV+ phase and the Einstein Telescope. She holds a PhD in Bose-Einstein condensates and has extensive experience in optical simulations, feedback systems, and the management of complex subsystems in large international collaborations.

  
  
• Giovanni Batignani
  Sapienza University of Rome
  

  Giovanni Batignani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Sapienza University of Rome. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical and Chemical Sciences from the University of L'Aquila in 2017, following his studies in Physics at the University of Siena (Bachelor's degree) and Sapienza University (Master's). As a member of the Femtoscopy group, his research focuses on Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy, aiming to unveil the ultrafast structural and dynamical properties of molecular systems and condensed matter. By integrating experimental and numerical approaches, Prof. Batignani develops advanced nonlinear Raman spectroscopy methods that exploit multiple light pulses to bypass the constraints imposed by the Fourier limit, enabling the investigation of matter on sub-picosecond timescales. His work has been recognized with the 2022 Raman Award for Best Junior Researcher and a 2024 ERC Starting Grant for his project on multidimensional Raman spectroscopy.

  
  
• Giuseppe Emanuele Lio
  University of Pisa
  

  Dr. Giuseppe Emanuele Lio earned his Ph.D. in Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science and Technology from the University of Calabria and the Nanotechnology Institute. He served as a research fellow at the National Institute of Optics, followed by a position as a research associate (RTDa) at the Department of Physics of the University of Florence and LENS. Subsequently, he was a Postdoctoral fellow at the Nanoscience Institute (CNR-Nano) in Pisa. Currently, he is Assistant Professor (RTT) at the Department of Physics of the University of Pisa. Throughout his career, his research in the photonics field has focused on metamaterials, thermo-plasmonics, metasurfaces for beam-steering, physical unclonable functions, and Passive Radiative Cooling.

  
  

  Passive Radiative Cooling: Harnessing Light-Matter Interaction from Nano to Macro

  How can an infinitely small structure—one-thousandth the width of a human hair and invisible to the naked eye—help us fight climate change? The answer lies in the fascinating world of light-matter interaction. When we engineer materials at the nano- or micro-scale, we can design them to behave in unexpected ways. In this talk, we will take a journey from the the infinitely small to macroscopic applications, focusing on a revolutionary technology: Passive Radiative Cooling (PRC). We will discover how special materials, thanks to their microscopic architecture, are able to reflect sunlight and, simultaneously, radiate their own heat directly into deep space, bypassing the Earth atmosphere. The result? Surfaces that cool themselves down without consuming a single watt of electricity. A perfect blend of fundamental physics and sustainable innovation for our future.

Students speakers