Speakers

Gaetano Scamarcio, of the Rotary Club of Bari, Italy, is a past Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in the United States. He is a professor of physics at the University of Bari and the inventor of the superlattice quantum cascade laser, which is used in systems for environmental monitoring and quantum physics.

Gaetano Scamarcio,
_{Director, CNR – Istituto Nanoscienze, NEST – Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy}

“At the Edge of Matter: Quantum Nanostructures and Functionalized Surfaces for Single-Molecule Detection“

New frontiers in soft matter are emerging at the intersection of condensed matter physics, nanotechnology, biophysics, and chemistry. At this crossroads, matter becomes a carrier of information, and molecular interactions can be directly observed and manipulated. Detecting single molecules — capturing and amplifying signals at the very edge of measurability — represents a fundamental challenge and opportunity.
By integrating quantum materials, graphene-based optoelectronic devices, and bio-functionalized surfaces, we are developing new sensing platforms capable of probing individual molecular events. These tools reveal metastable transitions in molecular monolayers and offer insight into nanoscale collective behaviors. This research not only deepens our understanding of complex systems but also opens transformative applications in ultra-early diagnostics, sensing, and next-generation health technologies.

Sebastiano Stramaglia is Full Professor of Physics at the University of Bari and former Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Signal and Image Processing. His research interests focus on complex systems for neuroscience, biology and social sciences, and the use of artificial intelligence in these fields. He spent long periods of research at Boston University, in Bilbao, Ghent and Copenhagen.

Sebastiano Stramaglia,
_{Full Professor of Physics and former Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Signal and Image Processing}

Talk details to be communicated

Professor Paolo Facchi is a full professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Bari and a member of the INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), Bari Division. He made significant contributions to topics such as quantum decoherence, the quantum Zeno effect, quantum control and simulation, and the study of multipartite entanglement. He coordinates the “QUANTUM” research group at INFN Bari, which deals with quantum information, metrology and the foundations of quantum mechanics.

Paolo Facchi,
_{Full Professor of Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Methods, coordinator of “QUANTUM” research group at INFN Bari}

Talk details to be communicated

Expert in Quantum Physics, Quantum Information and Complexity and Statistical Physics, Saverio Pascazio is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of QuantERA, Section Chair for quantum projects at the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and General Chair for quantum projects at the Optical Society of America (OSA).

Saverio Pascazio,
_{Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, Member of the Strategic Advisory Board QuantERA, General Chair of the Optical Society of America (OSA)}

Talk details to be communicated

Francesco Pepe works at the Bari Physics Department as an associate professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics. He investigates fundamental aspects of quantum dynamics, properties of physical systems
that are relevant for quantum technology implementations, and the possibility to enhance imaging by using quantum correlations. In teaching and dissemination, he is committed to providing an objective narrative of the “second quantum revolution”

Francesco Pepe,
_{Associate Professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics}

Talk details to be communicated

Sandra Lucente is a professor of Mathematical Analysis and Science Communication at the Interuniversity Department of Physics and president of the Museum of Mathematics at the University of Bari. She conducts research on partial differential equations in mathematical physics and holds conferences and workshops for popular science. She contributes to science magazines and newspapers and has written two books on mathematical tourism and was a finalist for the 2025 Asimov Prize with “Quanti? Tanti!”

Sandra Lucente,
_{Professor of} _{Mathematical Analysis and Science Communication, President of the Museum of Mathematics of the University of Bari}

“Science and literature: Bohr and Heisenberg in Macondo”

Talk abstract to be communicated

His research focuses on high-energy physics, particularly hadron spectroscopy and the search for new particles. From 2003 to 2011, he was a member of the BaBar collaboration, a high-energy physics experiment located at SLAC in California. Since 2008, he has been a member of the LHCb collaboration located at CERN in Geneva. He served as Deputy Physics Coordinator of the collaboration from 2020 to 2022.

Marco Pappagallo,
_{Associate Professor of Particle Physics}

“Unveiling the Universe: The Standard Model and Beyond“

One of the most captivating aspects of modern physics lies in the profound connection between the evolution and structure of the universe and processes occurring at the microscopic scale. Phenomena such as the disappearance of antimatter, as well as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, represent some of the major unresolved questions that may find explanations within the realm of elementary particle physics.

In this seminar the Standard Model, the theoretical framework that describes the fundamental interactions among elementary particles, will be introduced. Experiments conducted at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN have significantly contributed to validate of the Standard Model, particularly with the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Nonetheless, compelling experimental evidence suggests that the Standard Model may not constitute the ultimate theory of fundamental physics. The search for phenomena beyond the Standard Model remains a primary goal of future particle physics experiments at CERN. Such investigations may bring us closer to a deeper and more unified understanding of the fundamental laws governing our universe.

Speakers

Gaetano Scamarcio,Director, CNR – Istituto Nanoscienze, NEST – Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy

Sebastiano Stramaglia,Full Professor of Physics and former Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Signal and Image Processing

Paolo Facchi,Full Professor of Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Methods, coordinator of “QUANTUM” research group at INFN Bari

Saverio Pascazio,Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, Member of the Strategic Advisory Board QuantERA, General Chair of the Optical Society of America (OSA)

Francesco Pepe,Associate Professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics

Sandra Lucente,Professor of Mathematical Analysis and Science Communication, President of the Museum of Mathematics of the University of Bari

Marco Pappagallo,Associate Professor of Particle Physics

Gaetano Scamarcio,
_{Director, CNR – Istituto Nanoscienze, NEST – Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy}

Sebastiano Stramaglia,
_{Full Professor of Physics and former Director of the Interdepartmental Center for Signal and Image Processing}

Paolo Facchi,
_{Full Professor of Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Methods, coordinator of “QUANTUM” research group at INFN Bari}

Saverio Pascazio,
_{Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, Member of the Strategic Advisory Board QuantERA, General Chair of the Optical Society of America (OSA)}

Francesco Pepe,
_{Associate Professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics}

Sandra Lucente,
_{Professor of} _{Mathematical Analysis and Science Communication, President of the Museum of Mathematics of the University of Bari}

Marco Pappagallo,
_{Associate Professor of Particle Physics}