Bari Theory Xmas Workshop 2025

Contribution List

6. Detecting light axion-like particles from supernovae in nearby galaxies

Francesca Lecce (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 10:30

Morning session 1

Axion-like particles (ALPs) coupled to nucleons can be efficiently produced in core-collapse supernovae (SNe) and then, if they couple to photons, convert into gamma rays in cosmic magnetic fields, generating short gamma-ray bursts. Though ALPs from a Galactic SN would induce an intense and easily detectable gamma-ray signal, such events are exceedingly rare. In contrast, a few SNe per year...

11. Quantum master equation: from Van Hove to Sauron

Danilo Lepenne

15/12/2025, 10:42

Morning session 1

I will give an overview of the derivation of the master equation for open quantum systems, from both a physical and mathematical perspective.

After discussing the structure of the master equation and its derivation along with its key physical assumptions, I will introduce the mathematical instruments needed to formalize the problem: such tools range from Van Hove's "λ²t" limit and...

18. Improving theoretical precision in the study of B -> D** decays

Giuseppe Roselli (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare & Università degli Studi di Bari)

15/12/2025, 10:54

Morning session 1

The study of semileptonic $B$ decays into charmed mesons $D^{(*)}$ plays a crucial role in the determination of CKM matrix element $V_{cb}$, improving and studying the nonperturbative dynamics of QCD, in testing heavy-quark symmetry. Indeed, these processes are described by matrix elements between hadronic states, which are nonperturbative. They can be expressed in terms of functions of $q^2$...

19. Properties of excited charmed mesons from QCD sum rules

Carlo la Torre

15/12/2025, 11:06

Morning session 1

I consider semileptonic B-meson decay to the orbitally excited charmed meson $D^*_2$, having spin parity $J^P=2^+$. In particular, I apply the QCD sum rules method (using the original formulation known as short distance sum rules) to compute the decay constant of $D_2^*$ that is a preliminary ingredient for the calculation of the form factors describing the transition B $\rightarrow$...

14. Extended Topological Defects in Three-Dimensional Nematics and Majorana Quasiparticles

Fabio Aprile

15/12/2025, 11:18

Morning session 1

Topological defects are stable singular structures that naturally emerge in ordered media. In three-dimensional nematic liquid crystals, extended defects such as disclination loops display a remarkably rich phenomenology, whose full structure and dynamical role are still not completely understood. In particular, we focus on a class of these loops and show that they can be endowed with a...

10. Statistical mechanics of multipartite entanglement in Hadamard qubits states

Paolo Scarafile (Napoli)

15/12/2025, 12:00

Morning session 2

We investigate the thermodynamic properties of the uniform real-phased submanifold in n-qubit systems, called Hadamard states, represented as a classical ensemble of 2^n spins subject to a potential encoding the multipartite entanglement. For small system sizes (n<6 qubits), we perform an exact enumeration, enabling a complete statistical characterization of the energy landscape and...

3. Multipartite entanglement of random states

Giorgia Trotta (UniNa)

15/12/2025, 12:12

Morning session 2

In this talk, we will introduce the key differences between bipartite and multipartite entanglement in quantum systems. We will then show how quantum frustration emerges in multipartite scenarios, namely, situations in which a system cannot achieve globally optimal entanglement because different bipartitions impose conflicting requirements.
Next, we will consider various classes of random...

20. (ν1 ,ν2) oscillation parameters after first JUNO results

Francesco Marcone (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 12:24

Morning session 2

We present an updated global determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters governing the (ν1 ,ν2 ) sector, including the latest SNO+ results and the first measurement from JUNO. In the three-neutrino framework, we focus on the solar mass splitting δm2 and the mixing parameter sin2θ12 , which drive solar and medium-baseline reactor oscillations.
The new constraints are incorporated into...

5. Unruh Effect and Entanglement Generation

Riccardo Acquaviva (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 12:36

Morning session 2

The Unruh effect predicts that a uniformly accelerated observer in the Minkowski vacuum perceives a thermal bath, so that an accelerating detector behaves as an open quantum system interacting with an effective thermal environment. We exploited this perspective to study entanglement generation between two identical two-level atoms located at the same spacetime point and weakly coupled to the...

13. Routes beyond the Standard Model

Davide Milillo (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 15:00

Afternoon session 1

Despite the countless experimental confirmations, the Standard Model (SM) leaves many unanswered questions. Tensions have emerged over time between its predictions and experimental data, mostly in the flavor sector. For these reasons, a theory capable to account at least partially for the observed discrepancies is actively sought for.

Notable examples in the exploration of physics beyond...

17. Hunting new physics in semileptonic b→u transitions

Maria Letizia Di Cuia

15/12/2025, 15:12

Afternoon session 1

Properties and interactions of elementary particles are successfully described by the theory known as the Standard Model (SM). Despite the countless confirmations of the theory, it is generally believed that physics beyond the SM (BSM) should exist. In particular, the increase in the experimental precision has put more stringent constraints on the theory and a number of tensions between the SM...

8. Wandering range of robust symmetries

Vito Giuseppe Viesti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 15:24

Afternoon session 1

A powerful way to study quantum systems is through their symmetries, or equivalently, the conserved quantities associated with the Hamiltonian. Standard quantum mechanics tells us that these correspond to operators commuting with the Hamiltonian. Once the Hamiltonian is known, its conserved quantities can, at least in principle, be identified.
However, only those symmetries that persist under...

12. Error Scaling of Trotter Product Formulas

Francesco Flavio Perrini

15/12/2025, 15:36

Afternoon session 1

Solving the Schrödinger equation is one of the most fundamental tasks in quantum physics. However, obtaining exact solutions is often challenging, if not outright infeasible. In such cases, approximation methods become essential. Among them, Trotter product formulas offer a particularly powerful and versatile approach: they approximate the time-evolution operator by decomposing it into simpler...

1. Torque-driven supercoiling transition in open DNA polymers

Daniela Moretti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 15:48

Afternoon session 1

In this work, we combine coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations and mean-field theory to study supercoiling dynamics, as well as the steady-state profiles of twist and writhe, in an open DNA polymer where one of the free ends is subjected to a constant torque. Even though the other end is free, and hence can spin and release torsional stress, we observe that the entire chain transitions...

4. Constraining gravitational-wave backgrounds from conversions into photons in extragalactic magnetic fields

Tiziano Zanzarella (Università degli studi di Torino, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 16:30

Afternoon session 2

High-frequency gravitational waves may provide a unique signature for the existence of exotic physics. The lack of current and future gravitational-wave experiments sensitive at those frequencies leads to the need of employing different indirect techniques. Notably, one of the most promising ones is constituted by graviton-photon conversions in magnetic fields. Our research focuses on the...

7. Generation of Wigner-negative states from a coherently driven qubit in waveguide

Mr Gaetano Salvemini

15/12/2025, 16:42

Afternoon session 2

In this talk, we will present a powerful protocol, employing the interaction between an electromagnetic field and a qubit, to identify genuinely non-classical states, and we will explain the assumptions underlying this protocol. To discriminate non-classical states from classical ones, we choose the Wigner function as our diagnostic tool.
We will show how to analyze light–matter interaction...

2. Tensor Network simulation of multi-emitter Waveguide QED

Rosa Lucia Capurso (Università degli Studi di Bari)

15/12/2025, 16:54

Afternoon session 2

Waveguide Quantum Electrodynamics (Waveguide QED) is a promising and versatile platform for studying fundamental light-matter interactions and quantum technology implementations. Notably, interesting effects emerge when two or more quantum emitters are coupled to the waveguide, including collective phenomena, e.g., superradiance and formation of bound states in the continuum (BICs).
An...

15. Rheology of a Chiral Active System

Lucio Mauro Carenza (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 17:06

Afternoon session 2

We investigate a two-dimensional chiral fluid composed of Brownian disks interacting via a Lennard-Jones potential and subjected to a nonconservative transverse force, mimicking colloids spinning at a given rate.
Focusing on the liquid phase, characterized by rotating hexatic patches, we demonstrate that increasing chiral activity modifies the system’s effective temperature. In the solid...

9. Quantum machine learning: state of the art and perspectives

Giuseppe D'Ambruoso (Politecnico di Bari)

15/12/2025, 17:18

Afternoon session 2

Machine learning permeates our everyday life, with applications ranging from disease diagnosis and environmental monitoring to fraud detection. Despite its successes, modern machine learning still faces major challenges, including the need for extensive computational resources, large training datasets, and a high number of trainable parameters. In recent years, an exciting avenue to overcome...

16. Closing

Fulvia De Fazio (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

15/12/2025, 17:30

Afternoon session 2

21. Lessons and Memories from the 50 Years Expedition to the Very Short Distance Scales

Prof. Andrzej J. Buras (IAS Munich)