Physics in Intense Fields 2026 (PIF26)

Physics in intense, or strong, background fields has a rich history, captivating researchers since the early days of QFT. Modern advances in high-intensity lasers have prompted a renewed interest in the area of strong-field QED (SFQED), where non-perturbative methods have been necessitated by increased laser field strength. “Physics in Intense Fields” aims to explore SFQED, high-intensity laser physics, and related themes, by bringing together researchers from theory, experiment, and simulation.

PIF26 is hosted by the University of Rochester, and is preceded by earlier Physics in Intense Fields conferences:

• PIF24 (virtual), hosted by University of Plymouth and University of Edinburgh,
• PIF22 (virtual) hosted by the University of Plymouth,
• PIF2013 in DESY, Germany in 2013,
• PIF2010 in KEK, Japan in 2010.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

• Paul Campbell, University of Michigan, USA

• Sebastien Corde, École Polytechnique, France

• Martin Formanek, ELI-Beamlines, Czech Republic
• Marta Galbiati, LULI, France
• Elias Gerstmayr, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

• Mickael Grech, LULI, France

• Elizabeth Hill, LLE, USA
• Vojtěch Horný, ELI-NP, Romania
• Felix Karbstein, Helmholtz Institute Jena, Germany

• Kyung Taec Kim, CoReLS, South Korea

• Sonja Klisch, Perimeter Institute, Canada

• Eva Los, University of Oxford, UK

• Sebastian Meuren, École Polytechnique, France
• Brandon Russell, Princeton University, USA
• Yuan Shi, Colorado University, USA
• Matteo Tamburini, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Germany

• Hidetoshi Taya, Keio University, Japan

• Henri Vincenti, CEA, France

• Lily Zhang, Oxford University, UK

Organizers:

Local Organizing Committee

• Antonino Di Piazza, University of Rochester, USA
• Jonathan Zuegel, University of Rochester, USA
• Velynda Bertomen, University of Rochester, USA

International Advisory Committee

• Domenico Doria, ELI-NP, Romania

• Gerald Dunne, University of Connecticut, USA

• Thomas Heinzl, University of Plymouth, UK

• Christoph Keitel, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Germany

• Carsten Müller, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

• David Reis, SLAC, USA

• Caterina Riconda, Sorbonne University, France

• Gianluca Sarri, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

• Luis Silva, Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

• Alexander Thomas, University of Michigan, USA

• Stefan Weber, ELI-Beamlines, Czech Republic

Steering Committee

• Stepan Bulanov, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
• James P. Edwards, University of Plymouth, UK
• Anton Ilderton, University of Edinburgh, UK
• Masaki Kando, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Japan
• Ben King, University of Plymouth, UK
• Katarzyna Krajewska, University of Warsaw, Poland

Advances in high-intensity laser technology continue to motivate research in strong-field QED (SFQED), in which the presence of intense electromagnetic fields induces nonlinear and non-perturbative physical effects.

In turn, interest in observing these novel phenomena continues to generate proposals for experiments to be performed at current, and future, laser facilities.

An essential link between theory and experiment is provided by numerical methods, which translate theoretical results into widely applicable models amenable to PIC and Monte-Carlo simulation schemes.

The focus of PIF 2026 will be on these three areas of SFQED — theory, simulation and experiment. The conference will begin with a tutorial talk on each of these topics. Each conference session (outlined below) will begin with an overview talk.

Theory

Laser-particle interactions
Non-perturbative phenomena
Higher loop and higher multiplicity results

Simulation

PIC and Monte-Carlo schemes
Bench-marking simulations
Toward higher fidelity

Experiment

New experimental results
Facilities overviews
Future experiment proposals

1. Joao Maria Afonso Custodio, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC
2. Ivan Ahumada, University of Plymouth
3. Charlie Arrowsmith, University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics
4. Matthew Barczys, University of Rochester, LLE
5. Elizabeth Breen-Lee, Old Dominion University
6. Gracie Budd, SUNY Geneseo
7. Edward Cain, Rochester Institute of Technology
8. Paul Campbell, University of Michigan
9. Sebastien Corde, Ecole Polytechnique, LOA
10. Thomas De Vos, University of Rochester
11. Antonino Di Piazza, University of Rochester
12. Gilliss Dyer, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
13. Amanda Elliott, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
14. Louis Forrester, Imperial College London (London)
15. Charlie Freeman, SUNY Geneseo
16. Marta Galbiati, Marta Galbiati
17. Cosmo Gallaro, Princeton University
18. Zhigong Gao, University of Rochester
19. Elias Gerstmayr, Queen’s University Belfast
20. Mickael Grech, LULI, CNRS
21. Sarah Jane Grimm, TU Darmstadt
22. Elizabeth Hill, University of Rochester
23. Vojtech Horny, Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
24. Adrian Hosak, University of Rochester
25. Felix Karbstein, Helmholtz Institute Jena
26. Kyungtaec Kim, Institute for Basic Science
27. Seolhwa Kim, University of California, Los Angeles
28. Sonja Klisch, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
29. Abram Konzel, University of Rochester
30. Michael Krieger, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
31. Isabelle LaBelle, University of Rochester
32. Misha Lopez, University of Rochester
33. Eva Los, University of Oxford
34. Joshua Luoma, Cornell University
35. Lavonne Mack, University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics
36. Kyle McMillen, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
37. Shawn McPoyle, University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics
38. Sebastian Meuren
39. Olivia Ocker, Houghton University
40. Stephen Padalino, State University of New York at Geneseo
41. John Palastro, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
42. Claire PINOT PERIGORD DE VILLECHENON, LLE
43. Samuel Plymale, Houghton University
44. Geoffrey Pomraning, Princeton University
45. Md Reshad Ur Rahman, University of Rochester
46. Anthony Raymond, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
47. Caleb Redshaw, Stanford University
48. Emerson Rogers, Old Dominion University
49. Brandon Russell, Princeton University
50. Lauren Russell, SUNY Geneseo
51. Carlos Javier Servin Tomas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo
52. Jessica Shaw, University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics
53. Yuan Shi, University of Colorado Boulder
54. Martin Stack Formanek, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, ELI Beamlines Facility
55. Alexandra Staiger Hau, SUNY Geneseo
56. Mitsuki Tabei, SUNY Geneseo
57. Matteo Tamburini, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
58. Hidetoshi Taya, Keio University
59. Dante Vara, Houghton University
60. Henri Vincenti, CEA
61. Mark Yuly, Houghton University
62. Zixin Zhang, University of Oxford
63. Jonathan Zuegel, University of Rochester