From July 7 to 11, 2025, the University of Salamanca (USAL) hosted the first edition of the International Summer School on Structured Light and Matter, organized by the Research Center on Structured Light and Matter (LUMES). The program brought together 18 international undergraduate and master’s students for an intensive week of training, scientific exchange, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The official inauguration featured the participation of the USAL Vice-Rector for Research, José Miguel Mateos Roco, alongside LUMES Director Carlos Hernández-García and Deputy Director José Caridad. In his speech, the Vice-Rector emphasized the importance of this initiative to consolidate the University of Salamanca as a leading institution in the teaching and research of light and matter physics, highlighting that laboratories affiliated with LUMES will be “the spearhead in advanced science learning.”
The academic program included nine theoretical and practical courses, complemented by two keynote lectures and a technical visit to the Centro de Láseres Pulsados (CLPU). Overall, the activities offered 30 hours of specialized training centered on three key areas: structured light, structured matter, and light-matter interaction.
Sessions were delivered by 21 USAL faculty members and researchers from various groups and centers within the LUMES Unit, including the Laser Applications and Photonics (ALF) Group, Quantum Materials and Devices, Magnetic Nanostructure Simulation (SINAMAG), the Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering Applied to Design, Manufacture, and Applications of Composite Materials (LAMCOM), and the CLPU.
The keynote lectures were given by Sonja Franke-Arnold (University of Glasgow), a specialist in quantum optics and complex light modes, and Peter Bøggild (Technical University of Denmark), an international expert in two-dimensional materials, THz spectroscopy, and programmable quantum materials.
The program also included a guided tour of Salamanca’s historic center, allowing participants to appreciate the city’s cultural heritage, along with two scientific competitions during practical sessions, where students tested their experimental and computational modeling skills.
During the closing session, LUMES Director Carlos Hernández-García thanked the students, faculty, and technical staff for their involvement in this first edition of the school. He emphasized that “the future of research is in good hands” and encouraged attendees to continue cultivating curiosity, sharing ideas, and facing global challenges.
