The conference aims to bring together leading experimentalists working on state-of-the-art quantum platforms—such as cold atoms, trapped ions, superconducting circuits, and photonic devices—together with theorists in quantum many-body physics, quantum field theory, random circuits, and effective descriptions of complex quantum systems, including tensor-network approaches.

A central focus will be on non-equilibrium phases of quantum matter—arising from both unitary dynamics and dissipative processes—and, in particular, on strengthening the dialogue between experimental advances and theoretical developments. The AOC, ideally located on the Aegean Sea and equipped with all necessary facilities, will provide an excellent setting for scientific exchange and cross-disciplinary interactions.

Participants are encouraged to apply by registering via the conference website (click “Registration”). The conference fee for participants is €850 (including lunch and dinners), to be paid after the deadline. The registration deadline is 10 March 2026.

 Please note that participants are expected to arrange their own accommodation in a nearby hotel. There is a wide range of options across the bay, from Chania to Kolymvari, to suit different budgets and preferences.

• Claudia Artiaco (University of Cologne)
• Mari Carmen Bañuls (MPQ, Munich)
• Bruno Bertini (University of Birmingham)
• Jean-Philippe Brantut (EPFL, Lausanne)
• Pasquale Calabrese (SISSA, Trieste)
• Pawel Caputa (Stockholm University)
• Natalia Chepiga (TU Delft)
• Mario Collura (SISSA, Trieste)
• Andrea De Luca (CNRS, LPENS)
• Eugene Demler (ETH Zurich)
• Benjamin Doyon (King's College London)
• Henrik Dreyer (Quantinuum)
• Jens Eisert (Free University of Berlin)
• Fabian Essler (University of Oxford)
• Maurizio Fagotti (CNRS, LPTMS)
• Laura Foini (CNRS, IPhT)
• Katja Klobas (University of Birmingham)
• John Goold (Trinity College Dublin)
• Sarang Gopalakrishnan (Princeton)
• Christian Gross (University of Tübingen)
• Yingfei Gu (Tsinghua University)
• Jad Halimeh (LMU, Munich)
• Manuele Landini (University of Innsbruck)
• Leonardo Mazza (CNRS, LPTMS)
• Sara Murciano (CNRS, LPTMS)
• Lorenzo Piroli (University of Bologna)
• Frank Pollmann (TUM, Munich)
• Tomaž Prosen (University of Ljubljana)
• Mu Qiao (Institut d'Optique, CNRS)
• Tibor Rakovszky (Budapest University of Technology and Economics)
• Ana Maria Rey (CU Boulder)
• Matteo Rizzi (University of Cologne)
• Pedram Roushan (Google)
• Francesco Scazza (University of Trieste)
• Marco Schirò (CNRS, Collège de France)
• Luca Tagliacozzo (CSIC, Madrid)
• Gábor Takács (Budapest University of Technology and Economics)
• Laurens Vanderstraeten (Université libre de Bruxelles)
• Romain Vasseur (University of Geneva)
• RuGway Wu (TU Wien) 
• Torsten Zache (University of Innsbruck)
• Johannes Zeiher (LMU, Munich)

The conference will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, a historical venue (hosting international theoretical physics conferences since the 80s), close to the Chania International Airport, directly facing the Aegean Sea.

 Richard Feynman at OAC (1980). Photo by Dr. A. Papaderos, former general Director of OAC.