EPIOPTICS 18

XENES-6

6 – 12 July 2026

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF

SOLID STATE PHYSICS

94th Course/School: EPIOPTICS-18 

6th XENES WORKSHOP

ERICE- SICILY: 6 – 12 July 2026

GALILEO GALILEI FOUNDATION
WORLD FEDERATION OF SCIENTISTS
ETTORE MAJORANA FOUNDATION AND CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC CULTURE – GALILEO GALILEI CELEBRATIONS
Four Hundred Years Since the Birth of MODERN SCIENCE

 

Sponsored by the:

European Physical Society

Italian Ministry of Education

Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research

Sicilian Regional Government

National Research Council

PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL

The Course will have tutorials in the optical studies of surfaces and interfaces (solid-solid and solid-liquid), epitaxial growth, graphene-like materials, biomaterials, low-dimensional systems, dynamics and optical diagnostics relevant to new materials and structures of interest for present and anticipated (spin) electronic devices.

In addition, there will be presentations by the participants on their latest results in these fields.

An excursion to Segesta-Selinunte Archeological site is planned together with several local happenings

The following arguments will be treated during the lectures (speakers to be confirmed):

Tutorials / Keynote

Manish Chhowalla  – Univ. Cambridge, UK

Title: Application of 2D materials to energy and electronic technologies

Friedhelm Bechstedt – Univ. of Jena, DE

Title: Optical properties, excitons and dielectric screening in quasi-1D systems

James Ingham

Liverpool University, UK

Title: The application of machine learning, FTIR and aperture SNOM to cancer diagnosis

Linear, non-linear, and ultra-fast optics

Antonio Cricenti – CNR-ISM, IT

Title: Optical nanospectroscopy for bioanalysis

Kenan Gundogdu – NCSU Physics, Raleigh, USA

Title: Unconventional Solitonic Superfluorescence

Chiara Trovatello – Politecnico Milano, IT

Title: Ultra-fast spectroscopy of exciton in 2D materials

Matteo Lucchini – Politecnico Milano, IT

Title: Attosecondo ultra-fast spectroscopy

Christoph Cobet – JKU, Linz, AT

Title: to be announced

Claudio Goletti – Univ. Tor Vergata, IT

Title: to be announced

Dietrich Zahn – Chemnitz University of Technology, DE

Title: Plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Bernardo Mendoza – Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, MX

Title: Linear and non-linear optics

Emiliano Bonera – Univ. Milano Bicocca, IT

Title: Optothermal Raman spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy of 2D and quantum materials

Norman Tolk Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA

Title: Ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy

Quantum materials and characterization 

Yi Du –Beihang Univ., PRC

Title: Growth and characterization of novel topological materials

Thomas Heine – Univ. Dresden, DE

Title: Computational approach to quantum, topological, and low-dimesnional materials 

Luca Camilli – Univ. Tor Vergata, IT

Title: STM characterization of defects on 2D materials

Andrea Li Bassi – Politecnico Milano, IT

Title: Large-scale pulsed laser depsotion of 2D MoS2

Mariusz Krawiec – Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, PL
Title: Computational modelling and experimental testing of 2D Xenes
Kjeld Pedersen
Title: to be announced
Ivana Vobornik – CNR-IOM, IT
Title: Electronic band structure characterization of topological materials

Electronics

Dennis Lin – IMEC, BE

Title: 2D materials integration in energy-effective electronic devices

Gianluca Fiori – Univ. Pisa, IT

Title: 2D materials for paper electronics

Antonio Di Bartolomeo – Univ. Salerno, IT

Title: Logi and memory devices based on 2D materials

Alessandro Molle – CNR-IMM, Agrate, IT

Title: to be announced

Filippo Giannazzo – CNR-IMM, IT

Title: Integration of 2D materials in wide-band gap semiconductors for power electronics (CNR Pilot Line)

Energy technologies and low-energy devices

Andrea Capasso – INL, PT

Title: New solutions for flexible electronics and IoT

Teresa Gatti – Politecnico Torino, IT

Title: Sensing technologies

Luisa Di Marco – CNR-Nanotec, IT

Title: Low-dimensional materials for batteries and super-capacitors

Cecilia Mattevi – Imperial college, UK

Title: 2D materials for enenrgy

Aldo Di Carlo – CNR-ISM, IT

Title: Perovskite solar cells

Plasmonics

Luca Vattuone – Univ. Genoa, IT

Title: Excitation of terahertz acoustic surface plasmon 

Nathalie Vast – Institut Polytechnique de Paris, FR

Title: Theoretical methods for the determination of surface plasmon dispersion

Vyacheslav Silkin  – Donostia International Physics Center, ES

Title: Acoustic surface plasmons

Mario Rocca – Univ. Genoa, IT

Title: Experimental methods for the determination of surface plasmon dispersion

Roshan Krishna Kumar – ICN2,ES

Title: Plasmonics based on topological semimetals

 

 

Other advanced seminars will be included in the final programme

APPLICATIONS

Persons wishing to attend the School should send an application, preferably by fax or electronic mail, to the Co-Director of the Course:

Dr. Antonio Cricenti
Istituto di Struttura della Materia – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100 – 00133 Roma , ITALY
Fax: +39 0645488153
Tel: +39 0645488143
school@ism.cnr.it
cricenti@ism.cnr.it

specifying:
I) date and place of birth;
II) nationally;
III) present position;
IV) their specific interest in the School;
V) an abstract, if they wish to give a contribution (oral or poster).

The total fee, which includes everything in Erice (transportation from/to Palermo or Trapani airport, accomodation in Erice in the period July 6-12, breakfast, lunch and dinner at selected restaurants, coffee breaks, sandwiches, fruit, water (anytime at the San Rocco Center), excursion, social dinner and other amenities (arranged by the School) is € 1000. Those wishing to submit an abstract for oral or poster presentation shall send a page in A4 format before May 1st 2026. Accepted abstracts will be notified by May 7th 2026.

Closing date for application May 1st 2026

 

Admission to the Workshop and acceptance of the abstract will be decided by the Selection Committee of the School comprising Professors G. Benedek, A. Molle, A. Cricenti and A. Zichichi. More detailed information on the final programme of the Workshop, fee payment and local transportation will be sent together with the letter of acceptance.

Participants should arrive in Erice on MONDAY, July 6, 2026 no later than 5 p.m. The lectures, in Feynman room (San Rocco building – the same of the reception desk), begin July 7 at 09:00 a.m. and end July 11 afternoon.

Departure is on Sunday, July 12 2026.

 

APPLICATION FORM:
compile it and send it back by fax or e-mail.
(Please use cut&copy)

INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS: how to reach Erice and payment of fee.
See also the list of participants and the scheduled arrivals

SCHOOL FINAL PROGRAM

ABSTRACT

ORAL TALKS

PROCEEDINGS 2024

The deadline for manuscript submission is on date of arrival.

Manuscripts will be given to the referee during the school.

Written contributions must be prepared in 9″x6″ camera-ready format and their length should not exceed 10 pages for invited talks and

6 pages for oral and poster contributions.

For more information see the example files (please choose ‘general – Trim size 9.00″x6.00″ ‘) in the World Scientific Web pages at

www.worldscientific.com

a sample from previous Proceedings can found in:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Epioptics-9-Proceedings-International-Physics-Science/dp/9812794026#reader_9812794026

POETIC TOUCH

According to legend, Erice, son of Venus and Neptune, founded a small town on top of a mountain (750 metres above sea level) more than three thousand years ago. The great historian
Thucydides (~500 B.C.) said that the Elymi – founders of Erice – were survivors of the destruction of Troy. Ancient historians agreed that Erice was the oldest city in Europe.
Homer (~1000 B.C.), Theocritus (~300 B.C.), Polybius (~200 B.C.), Virgil (~50 B.C.), Horace (~20 B.C.), and others have celebrated this magnificent spot in Sicily in their poems.
In Erice you can admire the Castle of Venus, the Cyclopean Walls (~800 B.C.) and the Gothic Cathedral (~1300 A.D.). Erice is at present a mixture of ancient and medieval architecture.
Other masterpieces of ancient civilization are to be found in the neighbourhood: at Motya (Phoenician), Segesta (Elymian), and Selinunte (Greek). On the Aegadian Islands – theatre of the decisive naval battle of the first Punic War (264-241 B.C.) – suggestive neolithic and paleolithic vestiges are still visible: the grottoes of Favignana, the carvings and murals of Levanzo. Splendid beaches are at San Vito Lo Capo, Scopello, and Cornino, and a wild and rocky coast around Monte Cofano: all at less than one hour’s drive from Erice.

DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE
A. Zichichi
DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL
G. Benedek
DIRECTORS OF THE COURSE
A. Cricenti, A. Molle