Focused symposia offers the opportunity for a mini-meeting within the general Congress umbrella that help support physics research in Canada by providing an opportunity for networking and collaboration within focused research areas. Each symposium will be made up of 4 sessions and the whole day will be scheduled in one room with coffee nearby to encourage networking. There are no plenary speakers or other events scheduled for Tuesday to interrupt the mini-meeting. The CAP poster session is scheduled for 17:30 – 19:00, following the end of the fourth session. We have tried to run this earlier than usual so that delegates can go out for dinner with symposium attendees afterwards.
There are currently seven symposia being planned for Tuesday. They include an exciting lineup of invited and contributed talks. Abstracts can be submitted to a symposium by selecting the symposium track when you submit your abstract (opening January 25, 2023). Delegates who wish to attend only the Symposia Day will be able to do so. As of January 24th, 2023, we anticipate that the registration fee for non-student CAP member delegates and invited speakers will be no more than $175 for the day.
If you have questions about a symposium, or if you submitted an abstract but didn’t select the symposium track, and you would like to present in the symposium, please contact the symposium organizer(s). Here is the list of the planned symposia:
Q-STATE: Quantum Science, Technology, Applications, Training, and Education, organized by the Division of Physics Education (DPE) – Quantum information science and technology has become incredibly visible in recent years, with breakthrough research, a rapidly growing industry, and significant hype in popular science. Q-STATE, offered through the Division of Physics Education (DPE), the Private Sector Relations Committee, and other CAP divisions, is an event by and for the CAP community to learn about current directions in the field and the unique Canadian quantum landscape. We want to celebrate the achievements of Canadian researchers and provide opportunities to develop collaborations and discover opportunities with industry.
This symposium will consist of sessions about the following topics:
– Canada’s National Quantum Strategy: What, Why, and How?
– QIST Research in Canadian Universities: The Big Picture
– Education & Training for the Quantum Workforce
– The Canadian Quantum Industry: Activities, Needs, and Opportunities
All sessions will be at a level accessible to the quantum-curious and will encourage questions and discussions.
Organizers: Daria Ahrensmeier (daria_ahrensmeier@sfu.ca), John Donohue (john.donohue@uwaterloo.ca), Olivia Di Matteo (olivia@ece.ubc.ca) and Ian D’Souza (ian.a.dsouza@gmail.com)
Plasma Physics Symposium, organized by the Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) – Delegates wanting to hear about the recent advances in plasma physics research should plan to attend. Various topics will be covered including, among other things, plasma modelling, thermal plasmas, and non-thermal plasmas. Organizers: Ahmad Ramdan (ahmad.hamdan@umontreal.ca) and Stephan Reuter (stephan.reuter@polymtl.ca).
Discovering New Paths to Discovery: New Technologies and Methods to Uncover BSM Physics Symposium, organized by the Division of Particle Physics (PPD) – This year’s mini-symposium will focus on new directions in experimental techniques and theoretical developments that have enabled new approaches to understanding the questions of fundamental physics. Join us to hear about how theorists and experimentalists in Canada are coming up with new ways to search for physics beyond the Standard Model! Organizers: Seyda Ipek (sipek@physics.carleton.ca) and Max Swiatlowski (mswiatlowski@triumf.ca).
Hot Topics from Theory Made Accessible Symposium, organized by the Division of Theoretical Physics (DTP) — Join us to hear talks about important topics across a wide range of theoretical physics. These talks will be aimed at a general CAP Congress participant rather than at experts in each narrow field. Organizer: Randy Lewis (randy.lewis@yorku.ca).
Precision Physics and Tests of Fundamental Symmetries, organized by the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) — Delegates wanting to hear about the recent advances in precision physics and tests of fundamental symmetries should plan to attend. Organizer: Michael Gericke michael.gericke@umanitoba.ca
Soft Matter and Biological Physics Symposium, co-organized by the Division of Physics in Medicine and Biology (DPMB) and the Division of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (DCMMP) — Major foci for researchers at the interface between soft matter and biological physics will be highlighted. Topics will include biopolymers in confined environments, super-biomolecular assemblies, active soft matter, energy fluxes, budgets, and constraints in cells. Join us later at a local pub to discuss the exciting developments from the day’s presentations. Organizer: Maria Kilfoil (mlkilfoil@upei.ca)
Private Sector Physics Symposium, organized by the CAP’s Directors of Private Sector Physics and Professional Affairs, in partnership with the CAP’s Division of Applied Physics and Instrumentation (DAPI) – Over 75% of physics graduates work outside academia. Young physicists, or those interested in learning about physics career paths outside academia, are encouraged to attend this interactive symposium, which will provide insights into the careers of physicists working outside academia and offer insights and advice into the possible pathways and training needed to transition your physics training into an engaging and rewarding career outside of academia. Included in the symposium day schedule is an interactive Panel Session, hosted by the Dir. of Private Sector Physics, where you can learn more about the people and their careers as private sector physicists. Join us later for a “wine and cheese” Meet and Greet to have a chance to meet personally with private sector professionals. Organizers: Ian D’Souza (ian.a.dsouza@gmail.com), Daniel Cluff (daniel.cluff@deepmining.ca) and Steffon Luoma (luoma@live.ca).
Quantum Materials Symposium: organized by the Division of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (DCMMP) – This symposium focuses on:
(i) The discovery of topological insulators, superconductors and semimetals has culminated in a new way of understanding solids in terms of quantum mechanics and topology. In such topological materials, the electronic energy bands and wave functions are characterized by nonzero integers known as topological invariants. These invariants manifest themselves physically by virtue of peculiar electronic states localized at sample boundaries. Aside from being a remarkable feat of fundamental science, the advent of topological materials harbours a promise for practical applications. This part of the Symposium will showcase some recent developments on the theoretical and experimental aspects of this fascinating family of materials.
(ii) Machine learning techniques have become widely adopted in condensed matter research. Its uses include the classification of quantum many-body states in numerical simulations, the interpretation of experimental data, the automation of high-throughput materials discovery, and more. This part of the Symposium aims to highlight recent advances in these applications of machine learning to condensed matter physics. Organizers: Ion Garate, (ion.garate@usherbrooke.ca) and Stefanos Kourtis (Stefanos.Kourtis@usherbrooke.ca).