Recent developments in theoretical physics have significantly broadened our understanding of symmetry, revealing that it provides powerful organising principles not only for equilibrium phases but also for dynamical phenomena in quantum many-body systems. Modern symmetry frameworks—including higher-form symmetries, non-invertible symmetries, and subsystem symmetries—have introduced new ways to characterize emergent structures, topological orders, and collective behavior across quantum matter and quantum field theory.
While symmetry has traditionally been associated with the classification of phases and conservation laws, it is increasingly recognized as a guiding principle for understanding infrared dynamics, constraints on low-energy excitations, and universal responses of strongly correlated systems. In particular, anomalies, symmetry-breaking patterns, and emergent gauge structures often dictate the possible dynamical behaviour of quantum systems even in the absence of detailed microscopic knowledge.
This workshop aims to bring together researchers working at the intersection of condensed matter physics and quantum field theory to explore how modern symmetry concepts shape and constrain quantum dynamics. By encouraging interaction between these communities, the workshop seeks to advance our understanding of how symmetry principles can give rise to universal dynamical structures in quantum matter.
In this workshop, we plan to cover several topics including:
- Emergent gauge structures and topological order in quantum many-body systems
- Dynamics constrained by generalized symmetries and anomalies
- Spontaneous symmetry breaking and collective excitations beyond the conventional paradigm
- Symmetry-based approaches to gapless and topological systems
- Infrared universality and effective field theory perspectives on quantum dynamics
The workshop is designed to be very light, with typical days consist of 2-3 long (1.5 hours) talk per day with long breaks in between. The purpose of the former is for the speaker to be able to properly introduce the background/technique before diving into exciting recent developments while the latter allows for in-depth discussions.
Date and Venue
Date: June 29 (Monday) - July 10 (Friday), 2026
Venue: Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University [room to be announced]
Directions to the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP) can be found on this page.
Important Registration Deadlines
Onsite participants requesting VISA support or financial support: April 30, 2026
Onsite participants without any support: April 30, 2026
List of Invited Speakers (tentative to be updated)
- Jing Yuan Chen
- Gil Young Cho
- Jung Hoon Han
- Simeon Hellerman
- Chang-Tse Hsieh
- Kantaro Ohmori
- Haruki Watanabe
- Naoki Yamamoto
- Han Yan
- Kazuya Yonekura
- Peng Ye
Organizers
- Yoshimasa Hidaka (YITP, Kyoto)
- Masaru Hongo (Niigata University)
- Nick Poovuttikul (Chulalongkorn University)
- Dung Xuan Nguyen (ICISE)
Support
Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University
In case this conference was helpful for your research projects, we really appreciate if you could mention it in the acknowledgements of the related papers. [sample sentence: The authors are grateful for the opportunity to engage in discussions at the YITP conference "Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Matter: From Symmetry to Dynamics" (YITP-T-26-04), which helped initiate/develop/complete this work.]