LBNL Physics Division Research Progress Meetings

Special RPM: Academic Career Panel
2025-10-30 15:00 - 17:00 UTC
Special Research Progress Meeting – note special time and location.
Date: October 30, 2025
Time: 3:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Building 50 Auditorium [In-Person and HYBRID]
Panelists:
Benjamin Safdi (UC Berkeley & LBNL)
Gabriel Orebi Gann (UC Berkeley & LBNL)
Simone Pagan Griso (LBNL)
Michael Levi (LBNL)
Kathryn Grimm (CalState East Bay)
Title: Academic Career Panel
Summary: The Academic Career Panel will focus on the faculty job application and interview process. The event is especially geared toward postdocs preparing to apply for national lab or university faculty positions, but everyone is welcome to attend. Panelists will include LBNL senior scientists and faculty members from UC Berkeley and neighboring universities, who will share their experiences and answer questions about pursuing academic careers. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions about any aspect of the academic job process.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Dan Dwyer (LBNL) - Title: Development of the DUNE Near Detector
2025-10-28 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: October 28, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Dan Dwyer (LBNL)
Title: Development of the DUNE Near Detector
Abstract: The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an ambitious effort to measure neutrino properties via long-distance (1300 km) flavor oscillation of accelerator-generated neutrinos and antineutrinos. I will review the scientific challenges of this measurement, the details of neutrino detection using immense liquid argon time-projection chambers, and the crucial role of the DUNE Near Detector. I will highlight the role Berkeley Lab has played in development of the key technology and design of the Near Detector, as well as experiences from operation of a large-scale prototype in a beam of antineutrinos.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/95679892182?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Daniel Carney (LBNL) - Title: Experimental quantum gravity
2025-10-23 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Daniel Carney (LBNL)
Title: Experimental quantum gravity
Abstract: This will be an informal talk on some ideas related to testing aspects of quantum gravity in experiments. There are two basic directions I will cover. One is experiments aimed at determining whether the gravitational field is a quantized degree of freedom in the real world. In particular, I will discuss an experiment in this direction that we developed joint with Holger Muller on campus and which is about to come online. The other direction is a bit newer and something that I think our quantum groups at LBL could contribute to: quantum simulation of holographic physics (e.g., AdS/CFT).
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Chuan-Hong Liu (LBNL) - Title: Nonequilibrium Quasiparticles in Superconducting Quantum Bits
2025-10-16 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: October 16, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Chuan-Hong Liu (LBNL)
Title: Nonequilibrium Quasiparticles in Superconducting Quantum Bits
Abstract: The ideal superconductor offers a pristine host for the fragile quantum states of a superconducting quantum computer. With an energy gap protecting against low-energy excitations, qubits should, in principle, be isolated from unwanted modes that cause irreversible decay of quantum information. In practice, however, a significant density of excitations persists above the superconducting ground state, even at ultralow temperatures. These excitations, known as quasiparticles, can drain energy from the qubit mode and induce dephasing, thereby degrading quantum computer’s performance. In this talk, we will discuss two dominant mechanisms of quasiparticle generation: resonant millimeter-wave absorption and impacts from high-energy particles. We further show that careful device design, combined with a well-shielded operating environment, provides effective strategies to mitigate quasiparticle poisoning. A deeper understanding of these processes will be essential for realizing the next generation of superconducting quantum computers that are resilient against quasiparticle-induced errors.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Tim Nelson (SLAC) - Title: Light Dark Matter eXperiment: A Discovery Experiment for Sub-GeV Dark Matter at SLAC
2025-10-14 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: October 14, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Tim Nelson (SLAC)
Title: Light Dark Matter eXperiment: A Discovery Experiment for Sub-GeV Dark Matter at SLAC
Abstract: As searches for WIMPs approach fundamental sensitivity limits, interest in the more general class of thermal relics has emerged, where these dark matter candidates give rise to clear and testable predictions in small, accelerator-based experiments. The Light Dark Matter eXperiment (LDMX) — proposed to operate in End Station A at SLAC using LCLS-II drive beam — is uniquely capable of searching for sub-GeV thermal relics that can explain the observed dark matter abundance. In this talk, I will review the motivations for these searches, describe how LDMX works, and discuss the status of efforts to realize the experiment.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/95679892182?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Xinran Li (LBNL) - Title: Athermal phonon detectors for light dark matter search, go small and go large
2025-10-02 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: October 2, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Xinran Li (LBNL)
Title: Athermal phonon detectors for light dark matter search, go small and go large
Abstract: Light dark matter below 100MeV could only deposit sub-eV energies in detectors, which is invisible to traditional solid state ionizing detectors. Athermal phonon detectors that use superconducting sensors to read out the phonon signals from the target crystals have the potential to achieve sub-eV energy threshold.
As a member of the TESSERACT collaboration, I work on the development of transition edge sensors (TESs). Our recent DM search achieved 1.5eV threshold and extended the constraint on DM mass down to 44MeV with a 0.23g silicon detector. Our latest understanding of the stress-induced low energy excess events suggests that an even smaller target could help us achieve sub-eV threshold.
On the other hand, to go large, envisioning the next generation 10~100g scale large light dark matter detector, kinetic inductance devices (KIDs) have the advantages of being easily scalable through multiplexing. I lead the effort to develop Hafnium (Hf) low critical temperature (Tc) KIDs for phonon sensing. The internal energy resolution of Hf KID is compatible to TESs, while improving phonon collection efficiency is challenging. Several paths forward are defined and being actively pursued, including quasiparticle trapping, phonon blocking, and parametric amplification.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Jim Strait (LBNL) - Title: CMB-S4: birth, life and death of a major science project
2025-09-25 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: September 25, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Jim Strait (LBNL)
Slides: Download slides
Title: CMB-S4: birth, life and death of a major science project
Abstract: CMB-S4 was envisioned to be a comprehensive ground-based CMB experiment to make transformative discoveries and new insights in fundamental physics, cosmology, astrophysics, and astronomy. It was conceived as a way to unite the entire CMB community to enable a ground-based experiment with capabilities beyond that of any of the smaller individual experiment to realize the enormous potential of CMB measurements for understanding the origin and evolution of the Universe, from the highest energies at the dawn of time through the growth of structure to the present day. CMB-S4 was launched with great promise and enthusiasm at the 2013 Snowmass Summer Study, grew into a large collaboration, built a capable project organization, developed an advanced technical design and scientific strategies, was endorsed by multiple high-level advisory committees, but ultimately was cancelled by the funding agencies in 2025. In this talk I will summarize the history and accomplishments of CMB-S4, and provide an analysis of why it did not succeed.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Daniel Baxter (Fermilab) - Title: A QUIET place: Fermilab’s Underground Facilities for Quantum Sensing
2025-09-16 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
This is a joint seminar with the Interdisciplinary Instrumentation Colloquium (IIC).
Date: September 16, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: 50-4-Auditorium [Note location] [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Daniel Baxter (Fermilab)
Title: A QUIET place: Fermilab’s Underground Facilities for Quantum Sensing

Abstract: The infrastructure associated with building a large accelerator complex created some very unique spaces at Fermilab. In particular, the MINOS tunnel, excavated as part of the NuMI neutrino beam delivering neutrinos to the MINOS, MINERVA, and NOVA experiments, is an easily-accessible 100m underground experimental space. The rock overburden at this depth blocks 99.5% of all cosmic ray muons, and nearly all hadronic showers, creating a unique, low-background environment for novel detector development and calibration.
The NEXUS and QUIET laboratories, each equipped with dilution refrigerators for 10mK detector operation, are harnessing this opportunity. I will highlight the unique capabilities of these testbeds, as well as some of the interesting results that have come out of them. I will briefly touch on some of our ongoing studies and proposed experiments for the near future.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/97314813383?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 973 1481 3383
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Alan Poon (LBNL) - Title: Recent Results and Status of the Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiment LEGEND
2025-09-11 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: September 11, 2025
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: 70A-3-3377 [Note special location]
Speaker: Alan Poon (LBNL)
Title: Recent Results and Status of the Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiment LEGEND
Abstract: The Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless ββ Decay (LEGEND) is a phased international program designed to answer one of the highest-priority questions in fundamental physics — whether neutrinos are their own anti-particles. Its first phase, LEGEND-200, reuses the cryostat of a previous-generation experiment, GERDA, in Hall A of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) underground laboratory in Italy to house up to 200 kg of 76Ge-enriched high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. In this talk, I will present the latest results from LEGEND-200’s search for the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless double-beta decay. I will also provide a synopsis of the planning of the second phase of the experiment, LEGEND-1000.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Heather Gray (LBNL) and Simone Pagan Griso (LBNL) - Title: What's next for CERN? Summary of the 2025 European Strategy for Particle Physics Open Symposium
2025-09-04 15:30 - 16:30
Research Progress Meeting
Date: September 4, 2025
Time: 3:30pm-4:30pm [Note special time]
Location: 50-4-Auditorium [Note special location]
Speaker: Heather Gray (LBNL) and Simone Pagan Griso (LBNL)
Title: What’s next for CERN? Summary of the 2025 European Strategy for Particle Physics Open Symposium
Abstract: CERN is undergoing a planning exercise to determine its long-term strategy in particle physics; this exercise has some similarity to the Snowmass/P5 process, but with some differences.
Center to this strategy is what large-scale projects CERN will be undertaking after the LHC and its upgraded High-Luminosity LHC operations stop at around 2041.
This symposium represented the only general open meeting to showcase the current ideas and the received community inputs that were due in March 2025. It represented a middle-point before the appointed group starts drafting a report that is expected to be preliminarily available around the end of the year.
In this seminar, we will summarize what has been shown and give our main take-aways from this symposium and the strategy process.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Ben Allanach (Cambridge) - Title: Z' bosons in light of B-anomalies
2025-08-28 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: August 28, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Ben Allanach (Cambridge)
Title: Z’ bosons in light of B-anomalies
Abstract: Many measurements of b->s transitions (when accompanied by a di-muon pair) disagree with state-of-the-art Standard Model (SM) predictions. On the other hand, many other measurements, including those measuring lepton flavour universality, are in rough agreement with the SM.
We shall review such measurements and give a broad overview of the SM predictions. Z’ bosons with family-dependent couplings can significantly improve global fits. We give an example of a successful model, re-cast LHC searches for it and provide HL-LHC sensitivity estimates.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Darcy Newmark (MIT) - Title: Scintillation and Cherenkov Light Separation in a Liquid Argon Detector
2025-08-21 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: August 21, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Darcy Newmark (MIT)
Title: Scintillation and Cherenkov Light Separation in a Liquid Argon Detector
Abstract: This talk will present the first event-by-event observation of Cherenkov radiation from sub-MeV electrons in a high-yield scintillator (liquid argon) detector, representing a milestone in low-energy particle detector development and one of the major goals of 2021 Snowmass Process. This work utilizes the Coherent CAPTAIN-Mills (CCM) experiment, a 10-ton liquid argon light collection detector located at the Los Alamos National Lab pion decays at rest source. The detector is instrumented with 200 8-inch PMTs, 80% of which are coated in a wavelength shifter and 20% are uncoated. Using gamma-rays from a sodium-22 radioactive source, we have isolated prompt Chernekov light with >5 sigma confidence, possible through the unique combination of coated and uncoated PMTs. Cherenkov light identification allows for a highly pure selection of electromagnetic events, enabling exciting beyond Standard Model physics searches that I will review.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Nicola Neri (INFN) - Title: Probing Charm Baryon Dipole Moments at the LHC with ALADDIN
2025-08-14 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: August 14, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Nicola Neri (INFN)
Title: Probing Charm Baryon Dipole Moments at the LHC with ALADDIN
Abstract: The magnetic and electric dipole moments (MDM and EDM) of charm baryons have yet to be measured. These fundamental properties are sensitive probes of non-perturbative QCD dynamics and potential signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model. The proposed ALADDIN experiment at the LHC aims to perform the first direct measurement of charm baryon dipole moments by exploiting spin precession in bent crystals, within a dedicated fixed-target setup.
In this novel scheme, protons from the LHC beam halo are steered by a bent crystal (“crystal kicker”) onto a tungsten target, producing charm baryons with energies up to the TeV scale. These baryons are then captured and channeled by a second bent crystal, where their spins undergo precession under strong electromagnetic fields — allowing the extraction of their dipole moments.
A recent proof-of-principle test, TWOCRYST, has successfully demonstrated the viability of this two-crystal configuration in the LHC environment. These results are a key step in validating the experimental concept and guiding the optimization of the ALADDIN setup.
In this talk, I will present the physics case for ALADDIN, detail the experimental technique and detector concept, and provide an update on ongoing detector R&D efforts. I will also report on recent results from the TWOCRYST test, which mark a significant milestone toward realizing this ambitious measurement program.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Alex Wang (UCSC) - Title: Searching for di-Higgs production with the bbγγ final state: early Run 3 and beyond
2025-07-24 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: July 24, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Alex Wang (UCSC)
Title: Searching for di-Higgs production with the bbγγ final state: early Run 3 and beyond
Abstract: Since the discovery of the Higgs boson by the ATLAS and CMS experiments in 2012, many of its properties have been constrained by precision measurements using LHC Run 2 data. One notable exception is the Higgs self coupling lambda, which modifies the shape of the Higgs potential and, in the Standard Model, is completely determined by the Higgs mass and vacuum expectation value. A value of lambda different from the Standard Model prediction could have profound implications for particle physics and cosmology. The simultaneous production of two Higgs bosons (di-Higgs), is the most accessible way to study this coupling at the LHC but presents experimental challenges due to its low production cross-section, about three orders of magnitude smaller than that of single Higgs.
In this talk, I will present the latest ATLAS search for di-Higgs production with the bbγγ final state, in which one Higgs decays into a pair of b-quarks and the other decays into a pair of photons. This is one of the most experimentally powerful channels due to the high H->bb branching ratio and the excellent ATLAS photon resolution. With the inclusion of the Run 2 (2015 – 2018) and early Run 3 (2022 – 2024) LHC datasets, these new results constitute both the first ATLAS result using over 300ifb of data and also the world’s best single-channel di-Higgs constraints to-date. Finally, I will discuss the latest prospects for the High Luminosity LHC, which is expected to increase the dataset by over a factor of 10 and bring us within observation of di-Higgs production.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Regina Demina (U of Rochester) - Title: How Quantum Are Elementary Particles? Exploring Entanglement and the Quest for Toponium
2025-07-15 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: July 15, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Regina Demina (University of Rochester)
Title: How Quantum Are Elementary Particles? Exploring Entanglement and the Quest for Toponium

Abstract: While quantum mechanics underpins particle physics, truly quantum effects are surprisingly difficult to establish in high-energy interactions. A rare exception comes from recent observations of quantum entanglement in top–antitop quark pairs by the ATLAS and CMS experiments. In certain regions of phase space, these particles appear to lie outside the causality cone, making the result even more intriguing. In this talk, I will review the details of these groundbreaking measurements, their implications, and potential criticisms. Some deviation in the observed level of correlation between top and antitop quarks resulted in an exciting discovery of toponium, a bound state of top and antitop quarks observed by CMS. Recently confirmed by Atlas, toponium is the heaviest known composite particle, with a mass of 343 GeV—surpassing even the heaviest nucleus, Oganesson, at 279 GeV.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/95679892182?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Michael Reh (Boulder) - Title: Improving the Super-Kamiokande Analysis in the T2K Experiment
2025-07-10 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: July 10, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: This is a virtual event. Please see zoom link below.
Speaker: Michael Reh (Boulder)
Title: Improving the Super-Kamiokande Analysis in the T2K Experiment
Abstract: The Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) Experiment is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment located in Japan. T2K searches for muon neutrino disappearance and electron neutrino appearance oscillations at its far detector, Super-Kamiokande (SK). When performing the T2K neutrino oscillation analysis, the SK detector performance and reconstruction must be well understood in order to be certain of the number of muon and electron neutrino events observed. The T2K event reconstruction algorithm fiTQun does well to classify simulated electron and muon events in the detector, however differences in reconstruction performance between simulated and real data events can bias the T2K analysis results. In this seminar, the methods for estimating the T2K-SK detector reconstruction uncertainty will be discussed, including significant upgrades that include events with multiple visible particle final states in the T2K-SK analysis for the first time.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Nicole Hartman (Technical University of Munich) - Title: b-tagging unlocks the Higgs Potential — deep learning for jet flavour tagging on ATLAS
2025-07-03 12:00 - 13:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: July 3, 2025
Time: noon – 1:00 pm [note special time]
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Nicole Hartman (Technical University of Munich)
Title: b-tagging unlocks the Higgs Potential — deep learning for jet flavour tagging on ATLAS
Abstract:
Electroweak symmetry breaking involves a Higgs potential that generates mass for the weak bosons. In the Standard Model, this potential has a quartic form—but this is merely an ansatz that has yet to be experimentally verified. A first experimental probe of the Higgs potential could come from measuring the simultaneous production of two Higgs bosons (“di-Higgs”). This is an exceptionally rare process, expected to require another decade of data collection to discover using current analysis methods. The most probable decay mode of a Higgs boson is into a pair of b-quarks, which in turn produce b-jets in the detector. The channels driving di-Higgs sensitivity therefore all include b-jets in the final state.
Machine learning is transforming many areas of life, and particle physics is no exception. Because of the complexity of jets at the LHC, b-jet classification (or flavour tagging) has become a leading application of deep learning in the field. This seminar presents the state-of-the-art in flavour tagging: a transformer model, the same backbone architecture used in ChatGPT. These modern transformers deliver an impressive factor-of-four improvement in performance compared to earlier b-taggers based on recurrent neural networks. In addition, transformers are more data-efficient, allowing us to benefit from a tenfold increase in training statistics. Importantly, these gains in simulation also translate to actual LHC data.
Transformers are general-purpose architectures that can be integrated at multiple stages of the analysis pipeline. As training datasets continue to grow, we can begin to view jet tagging as a foundation model for LHC physics—one that can be customized or “fine-tuned” for specific physics goals. We conclude by highlighting how an end-to-end optimizable analysis can fine-tune a jet-tagger for an HH physics search, helping to further advance our di-Higgs program and quest to understand the Higgs potential.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98881011162?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 988 8101 1162
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Marco Bonici (Waterloo) - Title: Taming projection effects in galaxy clustering analysis
2025-07-01 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: July 1, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Marco Bonici (Waterloo)
Title: Taming projection effects in galaxy clustering analysis
Abstract: The analysis of galaxy clustering measurements from surveys like Euclid or DESI is likely to be affected by the so called projection effects, which causes the 1D marginals of the analysis to not contain the bestfit; this is a serious issue which can potentially harm the cosmological interpretation of these analyses. I will outline three complementary strategies to mitigate this bias: (i) simulation-calibrated priors, (ii) a frequentist framework based on profile likelihoods, and (iii) a Bayesian re-parameterisation that isolates degenerate directions. Applied to full shape data, each method reduces the impact of projection effects. I will present the reduction of the projection effects for each technique when applied to DESI data.
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https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/95679892182?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Bob Hirosky (Virginia) - Title: High resolution calorimetry from the LHC to a future Higgs Factory
2025-06-26 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: June 26, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Bob Hirosky (Virginia)
Title: High resolution calorimetry from the LHC to a future Higgs Factory
Abstract: High Energy Physics experiments employ calorimeters using various technologies for the measurement of high energy particles. This talk will review the detector physics and some challenges of precision measurements with the CMS homogeneous crystal calorimeters and discuss preparations to achieve the physics goals of the High Luminonisty LHC.
Looking forward to a future Higgs Factory I will summarize some of the international planning efforts for new detector concepts, including the CalVision/MaxiCC R&D programs which aim to produce a new, hybrid dual-readout calorimeter to achieve state-of-the-art calorimetric measurements of all final state particles.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Ryan Roberts (LBNL) - Title: Measuring the Top Yukawa Coupling with Graph Neural Networks
2025-06-17 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: June 17, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Ryan Roberts (LBNL)
Title: Measuring the Top Yukawa Coupling with Graph Neural Networks
Abstract: The top Yukawa coupling is a key prediction of the Standard Model and has been relatively inaccessible before Run-2 at the LHC. It has ties to many of the big questions surrounding the SM, including the fermion mass hierarchy, vacuum stability, the hierarchy problem, and the nature of the Higgs sector. Sensitive final states, including top-associated Higgs production and four-top production, have complex signatures which are natural targets for advanced machine learning techniques such as graph neural networks (GNNs). This talk presents the observation of four-top production, achieved with a graph neural network, and subsequent constraints on the Higgs boson’s coupling to top quarks and the total width of the Higgs boson. The interplay between physics objectives and developments in machine learning techniques drives the development of new strategies to maximize the physics output of the LHC program, including the sensitivity of future top Yukawa measurements.

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Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Josh Dillon (UC Berkeley) - Title: Recent Progress in 21 cm Cosmology with the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array
2025-05-08 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: May 8, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Josh Dillon (UC Berkeley)
Title: Recent Progress in 21 cm Cosmology with the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array
Abstract: 21 cm cosmology promises a revolutionary new probe of the astrophysics and cosmology of the Cosmic Dawn and the epoch of reionization (EoR). I will discuss our progress with the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA), an interferometer in South Africa with 350 14-m dishes, purpose-built for 21 cm cosmology. With early HERA data and only a small fraction of its final size and bandwidth, we have set world-leading limits on the 21 cm power spectrum. These results already have important astrophysical implications: they largely rule out “cold reionization” scenarios, provide a lower bound on the X-ray heating of the intergalactic medium, and constrain models of its origin. We are now preparing our first limits from HERA’s new broadband system (5 < z < 25), which should lay the groundwork for future results that realize the instrument’s full potential. In this talk, I will present these limits, their interpretation, and their statistical validation. Finally, I will look forward to the exciting science we can expect in the next few years from HERA, as well as the lessons it holds for future arrays for 21 cm cosmology.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Speaker: Kevin O'Brien (MIT) - Title: Broadband quantum-limited amplification and near-ultrastrong light-matter coupling with superconducting circuits
2025-05-01 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: May 1, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Kevin O’Brien (MIT)
Title: Broadband quantum-limited amplification and near-ultrastrong light-matter coupling with superconducting circuits
Abstract: Superconducting qubits are one of the leading quantum computing platforms in part due to the nonlinearity of the Josephson junction. High quantum efficiency broadband amplification is a key requirement for high fidelity qubit readout and thus implementing quantum error correction. We illustrate the modeling and design of high quantum efficiency broadband parametric amplifiers using our open source package JosephsonCircuits.jl [1]. These amplifiers are engineered to match the Floquet modes in the amplifier to the eigenmodes of the environment, eliminating a previously ubiquitous noise mechanism in broadband amplifiers [2]. We present the fabrication of such amplifiers using a high-Q qubit fabrication process with state of the art junction critical current uniformity. We detail the characterization of these amplifiers including the highest reported quantum efficiency for a traveling wave parametric amplifier [3] and future directions of on-chip integration and isolation. Finally, we show how qubits with quartic [4] rather than the familiar weakly anharmonic potential enable the first demonstration of near-ultrastrong nonlinear coupling [5] with applications in fast qubit readout [6] and gates.
[1] K. Peng, R. Poore, P. Krantz, D. E. Root, and K. P. O’Brien “X-parameter based design and simulation of Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifiers for quantum computing applications” IEEE QCE22 (2022)
[2] K. Peng, M. Naghiloo, J. Wang, G. D. Cunningham, Y. Ye, and K. P. O’Brien “Floquet-Mode Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifiers” PRX Quantum 3, 020306 (2022)
[3] J. Wang*, K. Peng*, G. D. Cunningham, A. Lombo, A. Yen, D. Zaidenberg, W. D. Oliver, K. P. O’Brien “High-Efficiency, Low-Loss Floquet-Mode Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier” arxiv 2503.11812 (2025)
[4] Y. Ye, K. Peng, M. Naghiloo, G. Cunningham, K. P. O’Brien “Engineering purely nonlinear coupling between superconducting qubits using a quarton” Physical Review Letters 127 (5), 050502 (2022)
[5] Y. Ye, J. B. Kline, A. Yen, G. Cunningham, M. Tan, A. Zang, M. Gingras, B. M. N., H. Stickler, K. Serniak, M. E. Schwartz, K. P. O’Brien “Near-ultrastrong nonlinear light-matter coupling in superconducting circuits” arXiv:2404.19199 (2024)
[6] Y. Ye, J. B. Kline, S. Chen, A. Yen, K. P. O’Brien “Ultrafast superconducting qubit readout with the quarton coupler” Science Advances 10 (41), eado9094 (2024)
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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Speaker: Michael Williams (LBNL) - Title: First Above-Ground Dark Matter Search Results from the TESSERACT Collaboration
2025-04-24 16:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: April 24, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Michael Williams (LBNL)
Title: First Above-Ground Dark Matter Search Results from the TESSERACT Collaboration
Abstract: The TESSERACT collaboration will search for dark matter particles with masses below that of the proton using two novel, ultra-sensitive detector technologies: SPICE and HeRALD. These detectors are designed to deliver world-leading sensitivity to a broad range of low-mass dark matter candidates. In this talk, I will share recent progress in the development of Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) with sub-eV energy resolution, a critical advancement enabling the next generation of low-mass dark matter searches. I will focus on our improved understanding of the “low energy excess” background commonly observed in cryogenic detectors, along with new techniques developed to discriminate this background from potential signals. This will culminate in discussion of TESSERACT’s first above-ground dark matter search, which achieved world-leading sensitivity to dark matter masses below 87 MeV/c², powered by the most sensitive athermal phonon sensors ever deployed.
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Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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Speaker: Victoria Xu (UCB) - Title: Broadband quantum enhancement of the LIGO detectors with frequency-dependent squeezing
2025-04-17 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: April 17, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Victoria Xu (UCB)
Title: Broadband quantum enhancement of the LIGO detectors with frequency-dependent squeezing
Abstract: Quantum noise imposes a fundamental limitation on the sensitivity of laser-interferometric gravitational-wave detectors like LIGO, manifesting as shot noise and quantum radiation pressure noise. We present the realization of frequency-dependent squeezing for the fourth astrophysical observing run of the LIGO detectors, resulting in the reduction of both shot noise and quantum radiation pressure noise, alongside broadband detector sensitivity enhancement from tens of hertz to several kilohertz. We further show that frequency-dependent squeezing enables astrophysical operation with quantum noise squeezed below the Standard Quantum Limit by almost 3 dB around 50 Hz, where the LIGO detectors are most astrophysically sensitive. Frequency-dependent squeezing was enabled by the addition of a 300-meter-long in-vacuum filter cavity at each detector, as part of the A+ upgrade to Advanced LIGO. For the LIGO Hanford detector, squeezing reduced the detector noise power by ~5 dB near 1 kHz; for the Livingston detector, detector noise power was reduced by ~6 dB. Combined with technical noise improvements, the quantum upgrade to frequency-dependent squeezing has expanded the detectors’ astrophysical range by almost 20% with respect to no squeezing, and thus improved astrophysical trigger rates by up to 70% during the ongoing fourth observing run of the LIGO detectors.
https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/98854322464?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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Speaker: Harry Teplitz (Caltech/IPAC) - Title: Euclid: an ESA Mission with NASA Involvement to Study the Dark Universe
2025-04-08 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: April 8, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Harry Teplitz (Caltech/IPAC)
Title: Euclid: an ESA Mission with NASA Involvement to Study the Dark Universe
Abstract: Euclid is a European Space Agency mission with NASA involvement to study the geometry and nature of the dark universe. It is optimized for two of the primary probes of dark energy: weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering. Euclid launched on 1 July 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral. During its 6 year primary mission, Euclid will survey over 13,000 sq.deg. of extragalactic sky and obtain optical images (530-920nm band), near-infrared images (Y,J,H) and slitless near-infrared grism spectra (1206nm-1892nm, R~480). All Euclid data will be made public to the world community after a proprietary period. Euclid’s first large data set of over 60 square degrees was released on March 19, 2025 (Quick Release 1 or Q1), and the first year of data (about 2000 square degrees) will be released in 2026. I will give an overview of Euclid’s science goals, observing status, and the Q1 data and results.

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Meeting ID: 956 7989 2182
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Speaker: Daniela Köck (University of Oregon) - Title: Exploring Electroweak Paths Beyond the Standard Model with ATLAS
2025-03-27 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: March 27, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Daniela Köck (University of Oregon)
Title: Exploring Electroweak Paths Beyond the Standard Model with ATLAS
Abstract: Phenomenological observations such as dark matter in the universe have long hinted at physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics. The Large-Hadron-Collider (LHC) at CERN has unprecedented capabilities to narrow down on models beyond the Standard Model. Hunting for supersymmetric particles has been a part of the search program since the start of the LHC. Even with these extensive explorations, some well-motivated unexplored parameter spaces only now start to become accessible.
This presentation will give an overview of the current status of searches for supersymmetry produced in electroweak interactions with the ATLAS detector. It will give an overview of the search programme carried out throughout Run-2 of the LHC, discuss a few recent highlights and motivate the necessity of future searches for electroweak supersymmetry.
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Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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Speaker: Dean Robinson (LBNL) - Title: New Theory Tools for the Next Generation of Precision Flavor
2025-03-20 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: March 20, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Dean Robinson (LBNL)
Title: New Theory Tools for the Next Generation of Precision Flavor
Abstract: The interpretation of upcoming precision flavor data will require a suite of higher-order calculations and theory descriptions for heavy flavor hadronic processes. We’ll discuss new developments and insights in heavy quark effective theory, that show promise to enable the next generation of precision semileptonic measurements and the interpretation and/or resolution of longstanding anomalies. We’ll also discuss status and plans for the Hammer software library, that is now used across the semileptonic experimental program.
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Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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Speaker: Andrei Cuceu (LBNL) - Title: DESI DR2 results: Measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Cosmological Constraints
2025-03-19 15:00 - 16:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: March 19, 2025
Time: 3:00- 4:00 pm
Location: B50 Auditorium [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Andrei Cuceu (LBNL)
Title: DESI DR2 results: Measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Cosmological Constraints
Abstract: The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is conducting a 5-year redshift survey of 40 million extra-galactic sources over 14,000 square degrees of the northern sky. One of its primary goals is to measure the cosmic expansion history across a wide range of redshifts using baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). The first DESI results, released in 2024, were based on the first year of data and showed intriguing hints that dark energy may not be described by a cosmological constant. On March 19th we will announce a new set of BAO measurements which are based on the first three years of DESI data. We will also present the cosmological implications of these measurements alone and in combination with cosmic microwave background, supernovae, and weak lensing experiments. These include constraints on the expansion rate of the Universe, the nature of dark energy, and the sum of the neutrino masses.
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Meeting ID: 919 5791 3705
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Speaker: Isobel Ojalvo (Princeton) - Title: Real-time Anomaly Detection at the CMS Experiment
2025-03-13 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Isobel Ojalvo (Princeton)
Title: Real-time Anomaly Detection at the CMS Experiment
Abstract: During Run-3 at the LHC, the search for new physics has significantly expanded. Development of advanced algorithms for the Level-1 trigger, encompassing techniques such as Long-Lived Particles, Data Scouting, and Muon showers to ensure broad data selection at the CMS experiment. Here, we introduce CICADA (Calorimeter Image Convolutional Anomaly Detection Algorithm), a state-of-the-art, fully autonomous AI algorithm engineered to process LHC event data in real-time and trigger on anomalous topologies. Operating directly on the rawest recorded data – the calorimeter energy deposits – CICADA demonstrates sensitivity to Standard Model processes. It unveils potential for Beyond the Standard Model Physics, including the exploration of previously untapped phase space at the LHC. We will also delve into future prospects for triggering at the CMS experiment during the HL-LHC era.
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Speaker: Ryan Bouabid (Duke) - Title: COHERENT: Using Small Recoils to Look for Big Discoveries
2025-02-27 16:00 - 17:00
Research Progress Meeting
Date: February 27, 2025
Time: 4:00- 5:00 pm
Location: Sessler Conference Room- 50A-5132 [In-Person and HYBRID]
Speaker: Ryan Bouabid (Duke)
Title: COHERENT: Using Small Recoils to Look for Big Discoveries
Abstract: The COHERENT collaboration is pioneering the study of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS), a process only recently observed. Using the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, COHERENT has deployed a suite of detectors using diverse technologies and targets. This talk will provide an overview of the collaboration’s experimental efforts and status. Beyond the initial measurements of CEvNS, COHERENT’s results have opened new avenues of discovery potential.
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Meeting ID: 988 5432 2464

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