Pappalardo Fellowships Symposium

Spring 2026 Annual Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics Symposium

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026

*All events take place in the Pappalardo Community Room (Building 4, Room 349).*

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

1:00 – 1:30 pm :: OPENING RECEPTION with refreshments 

1:30 – 2:00 pm :: Gillian Kopp, 2025-2028 Pappalardo Fellow
(experimental nuclear & particle physics)

“Low-Level Detector Information as a Window into New Physics”

Particle physics experiments over the last decades have shed light on the fundamental particles and interactions that make up our universe, yet many questions remain. Extensive evidence from astrophysical observations demonstrates the presence of dark matter, and potentially, an entire “dark sector” of particles that have not yet been observed directly. 

My research program leverages low-level detector information from the largest experiments to probe for evidence of new interactions—a window into new physics. At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), I use precision timing to optimize detector performance and increase sensitivity to potential new physics. This low-level information can also be used to improve particle flow, our algorithm to identify individual particles produced by proton-proton collisions. 

Beyond the LHC, I am bringing similar approaches to the SpinQuest experiment, a lower energy experiment with very high particle flux, enabling new sensitivity to dark photons. A deep understanding of the detector capabilities enables novel searches, extending the reach of both high-energy and high-intensity experiments to uncover signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model. 

2:00 – 2:30 pm :: Leyna Shackleton, 2024-2027 Pappalardo Fellow
(condensed matter theory)

“Mapping the Quantum Limits of Classical Simulatability”

Quantum many-body systems are exponentially more challenging to simulate than their classical counterparts. This is primarily due to the quantum sign problem, which prevents a reformulation in terms of stochastically sampling classical configurations. While many “sign problem-free” models have been discovered, which admit high-accuracy numerical simulations, many believe that certain phases of matter are intrinsically sign-problematic.

In this talk, I present counterexamples to a number of no-go theorems by constructing sign problem-free models for phases of matter believed to be sign-problematic, and develop a revised perspective for how one should think about intrinsic sign problems.

2:30 – 3:00 pm :: Jens Hertkorn, 2024-2027 Pappalardo Fellow
(experimental atomic physics) 

“Quantum Gases Under the Microscope: New Windows into Strongly Correlated Matter”

Competing interactions give rise to rich collective behavior across nature–from pattern formation in classical systems to exotic quantum phases of matter. In this talk, I present how recent progress in quantum gas microscopy, single-atom control, and artificial intelligence open new views into the inner workings of such quantum phases, including self-organization and strong correlations. 

The prospective of leveraging these advances towards a better understanding of unconventional superconductors and quantum Hall states motivates our construction of a new experiment at MIT: a programmable quantum simulator for many-body fermionic systems.

3:00 – 3:30 pm :: Ross Dempsey, 2025-2028 Pappalardo Fellow
(high energy & particle theory)

“Colliders from First Principles”

Elementary particle interactions are described by quantum field theories, and particle collider experiments have been used for many decades to inform our understanding of these theories. However, making detailed observable predictions starting from the fundamental description of a quantum field theory remains a difficult theoretical task in most cases. 

I will describe progress on two techniques for bridging this gap. The first is Hamiltonian lattice gauge theory, which allows for direct simulation of the dynamics of elementary particles. The second is the conformal bootstrap, which enables the calculation of energy correlator observables that describe the shapes of events in particle colliders.

3:30 – 4:00 pm :: Kevin Nuckolls, 2023-2026 Pappalardo Fellow
(experimental condensed matter physics)

“Moiré Crystals”

In 1610, Johannes Kepler walked through the snowy streets of Prague, captivated by a deceptively simple question: Why do snowflakes so faithfully exhibit six-fold symmetry? In the weeks that followed, he wrote a brief treatise proposing that snowflakes are not intrinsically six-fold symmetric, but are instead collapsed projections of three-dimensional cross-shaped snowflakes he called “six-cornered snowflakes.” Although today we know this picture to be incorrect, the spirit of Kepler’s curiosity captures a reoccurring theme that permeates nearly every subfield of physics. Could the patterns we see in nature be shadows or projections of a richer, hidden higher-dimensional reality?

In this talk, I will discuss how this question and its consequences lie at the heart of our understanding of materials whose atomic structures lack simple, highly symmetric lattices–so-called “incommensurate materials.” Beginning in the 1970s, researchers realized that such materials are not intrinsically incommensurate, but can instead be understood as projections of four-, five-, or six-dimensional lattices known as “superspace crystals.” I will connect these foundational concepts to recent developments in the emerging field of moiré materials research.

Finally, I will show how our team has recently succeeded in synthesizing high-quality moiré materials using the tools of solid-state chemistry, and how these newly realized “moiré crystals” serve as physical simulators of some of the predicted properties of four-dimensional superspace crystals.

4:00 – 4:15 pm :: INTERMISSION with refreshments

4:15 – 5:00 pm :: Remembrance of A. Neil Pappalardo EE ’64 with Deepto Chakrabarty ’88, William A.M. Burden Professor in Astrophysics and Department Head; Marc Kastner, Donner Professor of Science Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, School of Science; Robert Simcoe (2003-2006 Pappalardo Fellow), Francis L. Friedman Professor of Physics and Director, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.

Other Pappalardo links:

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Thursday, October 24, 2024

  • Prof. Pablo Jarillo-Herrero
    Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, MIT and Chair of the Pappalardo Fellowship Comittee (2018-2021)
    Introductory Remarks
  • Prof. Ashvin Vishwanath
    George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics, Harvard University
    Pappalardo Fellow, 2001-2004
    “Decoding the magical behavior of electrons in moire’ lattices”
  • Prof. Jocelyn Monroe, Professor of Particle Physics, University of Oxford
    Pappalardo Fellow in Physics, 2006-2009
    “Searching for Dark Matter: What Have We Learned in the Last 25 Years?”
  • Prof. Nitya Kallivayalil, Professor, Dean’s Research Fellow, GECO management committee; Director of Graduate Admissions, The University of Virginia
    Pappalardo Fellow in Physics, 2007-2010
    “Local Group Cosmology: lessons from mapping the stellar populations of the nearby universe”
  • Prof. Benjamin Safdi, Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley
    Pappalardo Fellow, 2014-2017
    “On the verge of discovery: axion dark matter”
  • Prof. Marin Soljačić, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, MIT
    Pappalardo Fellow, 2000-2003
    “Some intersections of AI and science”

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Or Hen
Class of 1956 Career Development Associate Professor of Physics
2015-2017 Pappalardo Fellow

“Neutron Star Droplets and the Quarks Within”

Since the discovery of quarks nuclear physicists have been trying to understand the relation between the lower-resolution description of nuclei using protons and neutrons, and their underlying higher-resolution description in terms of quarks and gluons.

At the intersection of these two paradigms are Short-Range Correlations (SRC): pairs of strongly interacting nucleons whose distance is comparable to their radii.

Due to their overlapping quark distributions and strong interaction, SRC pairs reach local densities comparable to those existing in the outer core of neutron stars and serve as a bridge between low-energy nuclear structure, high-density nuclear matter and high-energy quark distributions.

In this talk, I will present results from high-energy electron scattering experiments that probe the structure and properties of SRCs across scales: from their effect on the behavior of protons in neutron-rich nuclear systems through their role in our understanding of strong interactions at short distances, and the impact of nuclear interactions on internal quark-gluon sub-structure of nuclei. 

Looking to the future I will also discuss next generation studies at the forthcoming Electron-Ion Collider under construction at Brookhaven National Lab.

Webcast recording: https://youtu.be/Hi5Hb1nciTY

  • April 4, 2021
    Katelin Schutz, 2019-2020 Pappalardo Fellow; 2020 NASA Einstein Fellow
    (Nuclear and Particle Theory)
    “Making Dark Matter Out of Light”
    Introductory remarks: Tracy Slatyer, Jerrold R. Zacharias Career Development Associate Professor of Physics
  • April 28, 2021
    Anna-Christina Eilers, 2019-2022 NASA Hubble Fellow; 2022-2024 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Astrophysics)
    “The Formation and Growth of Supermassive Black Holes”
    Introductory remarks: Robert Simcoe, Francis L. Friedman Professor of Physics; Director, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
  • May 5, 2021
    Rachel Carr, 2016-2018, 2020-2021 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics)
    Chasing Anomalies with Reactor Neutrinos”
    Introductory remarks: Janet Conrad, Professor of Physics
  • May 12, 2021
    Nicholas Kern, 2020-2023 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Astrophysics)
    “Ushering in a New Era for High Redshift Astrophysics and Cosmology with the 21 cm Line”
    Introductory remarks: Jacqueline Hewitt, Julius A. Stratton Professor in Electrical Engineering and Physics
  • May 19, 2021
    Hoi Chun “Adrian” Po, 2018-2021 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics)
    “Topology at the Corner of the Table”
    Introductory remarks: Liang Fu, Lawrence C. (1944) and Sarah W. Biedenharn Career Development Associate Professor of Physics
  • Prof. Jeff Gore, Latham Family Career Development Assistant Professor of Physics
    Introductory Remarks
  • Dr. Taritree Wongjirad, 2014–17 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics)
    “Searching for Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay Using Quantum Dot Nanoparticles”
  • Dr. Inti Sodemann, 2014–17 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Hard Condensed Matter Theory)
    “The Nature of Spin Superfluidity and its Potential Uses”
  • Dr. Meng Su,  2012–15 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Theoretical Astrophysics)
    “From Space to the Tibet Plateau: Probing the Mystery of the Universe in Gamma Ray and Microwave”
  • Dr. Benjamin Safdi, 2014–17 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Theoretical High Energy Physics)
    “Directional Antineutrino Detection”
  • Dr. Yoav Lahini,  2012–15 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics)
    “Towards Optical Measurements of Virus Self-Assembly: How Does a Virus Grow?“
  • Prof. Peter Fisher, Head, Department of Physics
    Introductory Remarks
  • Dr. Robert Penna, 2013–16 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Theoretical Astrophysics)
    “Spinning Black Holes”
  • Dr. Jeongwan Haah, 2013–16 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Quantum Information Theory)
    “Protecting Quantum Information”
  • Dr. Inna Vishik,  2013–16 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Condensed Matter)
    “Adventures in Unconventional Superconductivity”
  • Dr. Guy Bunin, 2013–16 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Biophysics & Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics)
    “From Symmetries to Probabilities”
  • Dr. Joshua Spitz,  2011–14 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics)
    “Testing Einstein with Neutrinos”
  • Prof. Marin Soljačić, 2008 MacArthur Fellow; 2000-03 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Condensed Matter Theory)
    Introductory Remarks
  • Dr. David Hsieh, 2009–12 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Condensed Matter Experiment)
    “A New Generation of Insulators for the Electronics Future”
  • Dr. Paul Chesler, 2009–12 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Nuclear & Particle Theory)
    “Applied String Theory: from Gravitational Collapse to Heavy Ion Collisions”
  • Dr. Paola Rebusco, 2007–10 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Theoretical Astrophysics)
    “Astronomers-to-be at MIT”
  • Dr. Yusuke Nishida, 2008–11 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Nuclear & Particle Theory)
    “Universal Physics with Ultracold Atoms”
  • Dr. Jeff Gore, 2007–10 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Biophysics)
    “Is Evolution Reversible?”
  • Prof. Ed Bertschinger, Professor of Physics and Former Head, Department of Physics
    Introductory Remarks
  • Dr. David Tong, 2001-2004 Pappalardo Fellow
    (String Theory)
    “Is String Theory Right or is It Just Useful?”
  • Dr. Robert Simcoe, 2003-2006 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Experimental Astrophysics)
    “Playing with FIRE: The Edge of the Universe as seen from Magellan”
  • Dr. Jocelyn Monroe, 2006-2009 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics)
    “Particle Physics at the Dark Frontier”
  • Dr. Michael Fogler, 2000-2003 Pappalardo Fellow
    (Condensed Matter Theory)
    “Graphene Twist and Rock-n-Roll”
  • Dr. Henriette Elvang, 2005-2008 Pappalardo Fellow
    (String Theory)
    “Recent Advances in Amplitude Calculations and Their Applications”