CTD.QMAT26 brings together leading international research in Würzburg

CTD.QMAT26 – the ‘International Conference on Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter’ – is the third major international conference organised by the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat. It brings together leading experts from around the world. The focus is on novel quantum phenomena arising from the interplay between topological physics and many-body interactions – ranging from topological electronic materials and quantum spin systems to photonics.

A conference with international appeal

The conference highlights the role of the city and the University of Würzburg as a leading international centre for quantum materials research. Around 400 scientists from over 30 countries are conducting research within the ctd.qmat Cluster of Excellence into tailor-made quantum materials with exceptional properties. The CTD.QMAT26 conference brings this expertise together for five intensive days in Würzburg. Over 300 researchers from around the world are expected to attend.

Würzburg as an international hub for quantum research

“With CTD.QMAT26, we are demonstrating that Würzburg is an international hub for research into complex and topological quantum materials,” says Professor Ralph Claessen, Würzburg’s spokesperson for the ctd.qmat Cluster of Excellence and holder of the Chair of Experimental Physics IV at the University of Würzburg. “The conference brings together different research communities – from condensed matter through photonics to synthetic quantum systems – and in doing so creates a space to jointly tackle the next big questions in quantum physics.”

It is precisely the interplay between topology, complexity and dynamics that promises entirely new applications – for example, in future information processing, sensor technology or energy conversion. CTD.QMAT26 is therefore deliberately designed to be interdisciplinary, with the aim of building bridges between physics, chemistry and materials science, as well as with emerging fields of research.

Programme, funding and organisation

The scientific programme comprises plenary lectures, specialist presentations and poster sessions on topics such as topological and correlated quantum matter, quantum magnetism, topological photonics, driven and non-equilibrium quantum systems, and ‘topology-driven functionality’. In addition to the scientific programme, the conference offers special networking opportunities for early-career researchers and for the Grete-Hermann Network. The Grete-Hermann Network, modelled on ctd.qmat, brings together international female researchers in the field of quantum materials.

To support attendance, grants are also being awarded by the Wittenstein Foundation, which are specifically designed to enable early-career researchers to take part in the conference. City tours and a dinner at the Staatlicher Hofkeller in the Würzburg Residence offer further opportunities for networking and getting to know the city.

The conference is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism and by the Wittenstein Foundation.

Information and contact details

CTD.QMAT26 will take place from 28 September to 2 October 2026 at the Congress Centrum.

Further information and the full programme can be found on the conference website: https://ctdqmat26.de. If you have any questions about the conference, please contact the organising team at ctd.qmat26@uni-wuerzburg.de.

Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat

The Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat – Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter – at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and the Technical University of Dresden is researching and developing novel quantum materials with tailor-made properties. Around 300 researchers from more than 30 countries are laying the foundations for the technologies of the future at the interface between physics, chemistry and materials science. In 2026, the cluster entered the second funding period of the Federal and State Excellence Strategy – with an expanded focus on the dynamics of quantum processes.