IST-Phys​Front'26 

2nd IST-Ph​​ysics Frontier Symposium

16th September 2026
Técnico Innovation Center (TIC)

Research Highlight Session (all Scientific Areas)

Student Poster Sessions​ and Prizes

Research Opportunities

Outstanding Student Invited Talks

Best MEFT video prize 

LEFT/MEFT Student Innovation Prize

The IST-PhysFront Symposium is an annual scientific event organised by the Department of Physics of Instituto Superior Técnico (DF-IST). It showcases cutting-edge research conducted by DF-IST researchers and students.

Students from all three Physics cycles of study are invited to present their work in any subject/scientific area during poster sessions. A prize will be awarded for the best LEFT, MEFT and PhD poster. If you wish to submit a poster fill the form available here.

To highlight the excellence of student contributions, the symposium will feature a selection of outstanding student talks covering a range of research topics.

Registration is mandatory to everyone who wishes to attend/participate. Register here.

Organising Committee:


DF |António Ferraz (DF & CeFEMA), Filipe Joaquim (DF & CFTP), Filipe Mendes (DF & IN+), Ilídio Lopes (DF & CENTRA), Patricia Muíño (DF & LIP), Rafael Almeida (DF & IPFN), Jorge Vieira (DF & IPFN)


NFIST |Clara Andrade, Sofia Obrist, Teresa Coelho, Vitória Ferreira


Physis |Beatriz Salvador (FEUP/FCUP), Daniela Estaço (IST), Ethan Gouveia (FCUL), 
José Mariano (IST), Vasco Soares (IST)

Secretariat | Paulo Guerreiro & Sandra Martins

Scientific Secretariat | Diogo Capelo, José Rocha, Aditya Batra, Tomás Gaspar, Carlota Pataca

Contact |  physfront26@fisica.tecnico.ulisboa.pt

IST-PhysFront'26 Research Highlights

Quantum Tunneling and its Technological Applications

Keynote Speakers

David Hilditch

David Hilditch works in relativity and gravitation. He is particularly interested in spacetimes in which black holes almost form. These are exciting because they may contain naked singularities, and thus teach us about cosmic censorship.

Inês Ochoa

Inês Ochoa explores the wealth of data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in search of answers to the universe's mysteries: from the matter-antimatter asymmetry to the nature of dark matter. Her focus is on wielding the Higgs boson as a primary tool to probe physics beyond the Standard Model.

Philipp Kempsky

Philipp Kempski studies the origin and transport of cosmic rays—the most energetic particles in the universe. Using simulations of turbulent magnetized plasmas on the world's most powerful supercomputers, together with high-power laser experiments, his research reveals how cosmic rays couple to astrophysical plasmas and shape the evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes.

Ruben Conceição

Professor Ruben Conceição is currently exploring the use of ML algorithms to enhance the performance of astroparticle physics experiments.

Susana Freitas

Professor Susana Freitas is using Machine Learning in the development of  Spintronic Sensors Beneath Magnetic Skins.

Vasco 
Guerra

Professor Vasco Guerra is currently working on a new method for physics-consistent ML and on neural networks for optimisation of kinetic models of reactive plasmas.

IST-PhysFront'26 Research Highlights

Research at the IST Physics Department is done in four scientific areas: Astrophysics and Gravitation, Condensed Matter and Nanotechnology, Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics, Plasmas, Laser and Nuclear Fusion, Interdisciplinary Physics. 

Special Talk

Macroscopic quantum effects, the Nobel prize in Physics in 2025, and spin dependent quantum devices at INESC MN/IST

Paulo Freitas
(DF-IST & INESC-MN)

The Nobel prize in Physics in 2025 given to J.Clarke, M.Devoret and J.Martinis for their work on electrical/superconducting circuits with macroscopic quantum tunneling is briefly explained. Their work used circuits with Josepshon tunnel junctions proposed in 1962 by B Josepshon ( Nobel Prize in Pysics 1973, shared with L.Esaki and I.Giaever-tunnel junctions in semiconductors and superconductors). Superconducting devices ( the SQUID) are now workhorses for integrated/all solid state quantum computers. A new  quantum effect, using a spin dependent current tunneling through an insulating barrier ( TMR technology) was demonstrated  by Julliere in 1975 (Fe/GeOx/Co),  and became a strong research field  20 years later with works from Moodera, Yuasa, Parkin, Freitas and others:  (CoFe/AlOx/CoFe) and later (CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB). Our group at INESC MN/IST has been strongly active in pushing TMR technology towards industrial applications (hard disk drive read heads, magnetic non-volatile memory, magnetoresistive sensors). Device fabrication from base thin film materials, microfabrication and final integration will be reviewed. Future perspectives and opportunities for Physics Students will be highlighted.

Research Highlight Keynote Speakers

David
Hilditch

David Hilditch works in relativity and gravitation. He is particularly interested in spacetimes in which black holes almost form. These are exciting because they may contain naked singularities, and thus teach us about cosmic censorship.

Inês 
Ochoa

Inês Ochoa explores the wealth of data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in search of answers to the universe's mysteries: from the matter-antimatter asymmetry to the nature of dark matter. Her focus is on wielding the Higgs boson as a primary tool to probe physics beyond the Standard Model.

Philipp
Kempski

Philipp Kempski studies the origin and transport of cosmic rays—the most energetic particles in the universe. Using simulations of turbulent magnetized plasmas on the world's most powerful supercomputers, together with high-power laser experiments, his research reveals how cosmic rays couple to astrophysical plasmas and shape the evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT TALKS

Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable research conducted by our students! Through a series of dynamic short talks in a various range of topics, you'll discover the depth, creativity, and ambition that define the scientific work happening across our Department. These presentations celebrate student-led research and aim to spark curiosity, collaboration, and new ideas among peers.

Ana Rita
Carvalho
(MEFT)

Ana Rita is exploring fast Machine-Learning algorithms for the online event analysis and real-time selection of the ATLAS detector, in preparation for the collision rates of the High-Luminosity LHC at CERN. She is particularly interested in model-agnostic methods, which could increase the sensitivity of the event selection to a broader range of potential new physics signals.

Gabriel
Almeida
(MEFT)

Gabriel’s research addresses a fundamental question in quantum physics: how do open, many-body systems reach thermal equilibrium? In particular, he investigates the rich behaviour produced by the competition between a quantum system's internal dynamics and dissipation to its surrounding environment.

Diogo
Esteves
(MEFT)

Diogo ​simulates the signal detected by a far away observer from a source of scalar radiation plunging into a rotating black hole. My goal is to understand the properties of the light ring, an important characteristic of black hole spacetimes, and use it to test General Relativity and search for new physics.

Joaquim
Pereira
(MEFT)

Joaquim's work​involves the shaping of light itself into spring-like shapes by establishing carefully designed links between the spatial and temporal properties of an ultrafast laser pulse and further enhancing this sculptability by exploring novel parameter spaces like tunable spectral phase, expanding their potential for application in fields like ultrafast spectroscopy.

João
Biu
(MEFT)

João develops novel models to study collisionless plasmas in astrophysical environments. His work combines large-scale kinetic simulations with model-discovery techniques to build tools that capture plasma dynamics in regimes where conventional methods break down.

Leonor Gonçalves
(MEFT)

Leonor is investigating how the DUNE-PRISM detector concept can help overcome a key limitation in neutrino experiments: the difficulty of separating neutrino interaction effects from the properties of the neutrino beam. Her work aims to reduce the systematic uncertainties that limit precision measurements, helping DUNE achieve its ambitious neutrino physics goals.

TIMETABLE

9h00 - 10h10 | Collect your badge at the TIC Reception
10h15 - 10h30 | ​Opening
SPECIAL TALK
 10h30 - 11h00 | Paulo Freitas (INES-MN & DF)
Macroscopic quantum effects, the Nobel prize in Physics in 2025, and spin dependent quantum devices at INESC MN/IST
_______________________
11h05 - 11h50 | COFFEE BREAK AND POSTER SESSION
_______________________
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
11h50 - 12h10 |  Philipp Kempski (IPFN & DF)
The Long Way Round: How Cosmic Rays Race along Turbulent Magnetic Fields and Shape Astrophysical Systems
12h15 - 12h35 |  David Hilditch (CENTRA & DF)
Reaching out to the Cosmic Censor
12h40 - 13h00 | Inês Ochoa
The Higgs Boson and the Stability of the Universe
_______________________
13h05 - 14h35 | LUNCH
_______________________
LEFT/MEFT INNOVATION PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
14h35 - 14h45 | Telmo Vaz
Faralab Project
14h45 - 14h55 | Duarte Lopes
Lumination Project

14h55 - 15h05 | PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT
_______________________
OUTSTANDING STUDENT TALKS

15h05- 15h20 | Ana Rita Carvalho (MEFT)
Nanosecond Discoveries at the LHC with Fast Machine Learning
15h25 - 15h40 | Gabriel Almeida (MEFT)
How does a quantum system forget?
15h45 - 16h00 | Diogo Esteves (MEFT)
Exciting black holes with stars
_______________________
16h00 - 17h00 | COFFEE BREAK AND POSTER SESSION
_______________________
17h00 - 17h10 | ​PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT
_______________________
OUTSTANDING STUDENT TALKS

17h10- 17h25 | Joaquim Pereira (MEFT)
Sculpting Light into Springs, one color at a time
17h30 - 17h45 | João Biu (MEFT)
Deep Learning Reduced Models for Astrophysical Accelerators
17h50 - 18h05 | Leonor Gonçalves (MEFT)
Decoding Neutrino Interactions with DUNE-PRISM
_______________________
18h05 - 18h20 | PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT AND CLOSURE 
_______________________

TIMETABLE

8h30 - 9h15 | Registration
9h15 - 9h30 | Opening
09h30 - 12h30 | FOCUS TOPIC SESSION
(Machine learning Applied to Physics Research at IST)
9h30 - 9h50 | Frederico Fiúza
9h50 - 10h10 | Susana Freitas
10h10 - 10h30 | Giuseppe de Tomasi
10h30 - 11h30 | Coffee Break and Poster Session
11h30 - 11h50 | Vasco Guerra
11h50 - 12h10 | Ruben Conceição
12h10 - 12h30 | Marco Piccardo
12h30 - 14h30 | Lunch
14h30 - 15h50 | DF RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT SESSION
14h30 - 14h50 | Andreas Trautner
14h50 - 15h10 | Liliana Apolinário
15h10 - 15h30 | Marta Fajardo
15h30 - 15h50 | 
15h50 - 17h00 | Coffee Break and Poster Session
17h00 - 18h00 | OUTSTANDING STUDENT TALKS
17h00 - 17h15 | Duarte Lopes
17h15 - 17h30 | Gonçalo Roriz
17h30 - 17h45 | 
17h45 - 18h00 | 
18h00 - 18h20 | Best poster and best PIC2 video winner announcement
18h20 - 18h30 | Closure

PRIZES @ IST-PhysFront'26

During PhysFront’26, several prizes will be awarded.
The candidates are:

Best PIC2 Video
Click on the video titles below to watch, and vote on your favourite one here until 3 p.m. of September 15. 
Use the same email you have used for PhysFront'26 registration.

Tomás Gaspar
V1: Multi-Parton Systems in a QCD Medium
João Belas
 V2: On Flavour Invariants of the N Higgs Doublet Model
Joana Yao - WINNER
V3: Critical collapse with a charged scalar field
Guilherme Neves
 V4: Energy Spectrum Reconstruction of Air-Shower Components with a Multi-Hybrid Detection Station
João Matos
 V5: Machine Learning Techniques to explore scalar-fermion couplings 
Carolina Machado
 V6: Predicting asteroseismic properties of Red Giants in our Galaxy's inner parsec 
Leonor Gonçalves
 V7: Decoding Neutrino Interactions with DUNE-PRISM
Pedro Fialho
V8: Dynamics of Elastic Bodies in General Relativity

LEFT/MEFT Student Innovation Prize Candidates

Duarte Lopes, Vasco Pires, Liliana da Silva & João guilherme
Lumination Project (WINNER)

Telmo Vaz, Felipe Sant'Ana, António Fortes, Gabriel Carvalho, Francisco Pinheiro, Bernardo Grandela, Afonso Sítima
Faralab Project (WINNER)

and
Best LEFT/MEFT/PhD Posters

T​he best posters will be selected by votes from registered participants of IST-PhysFront’26. To vote, simply choose your favourite poster in the Google Form (the link is displayed at every poster stand). Each participant may submit one vote per category (LEFT / MEFT / PhD). Please use the same email address you registered with to authenticate your vote.