We are writing to announce and to ask for your help in advertising to your students, postdocs and colleagues the CECAM School on “Path Integral Quantum Mechanics: From the Basics to the Latest Developments” which will be held from June 25 to 29, 2018 at the CECAM HQ in Lausanne Switzerland: http://www.cecam.org/workshop-0-1528.html. As with all CECAM events, there are no conference fees, but it is essential that students apply soon, as we can only offer a limited number of places. Due to generous funding from CECAM, Psi-k, and Marvel we will be able to provide partial funding to cover travel or accommodation to some participants. Instructions are given below.

Hoping to see many of you there,

The organizers: Mariana Rossi (FHI-Berlin), Jeremy Richardson (ETH Zürich), Michele Ceriotti (EPF Lausanne), Tom Markland (Stanford)

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Path Integral Quantum Mechanics: From the Basics to the Latest Developments

June 25-29th - CECAM Lausanne

Description of the school

The topic of this school is the path integral (PI) approach to quantum mechanics and its application to atomistic simulations in fields ranging from physics and chemistry to biology and materials science. PI simulations extend molecular dynamics methods to include quantum effects, such as zero-point energy and tunneling, which are particularly important for correctly describing the behavior of light atoms, such as hydrogen. Path integral methods arise as the best simulation techniques to treat nuclear quantum effects in high dimensional, realistic systems due to the favorable compromise between simulation cost and accuracy of the results. Since the previous school in 2016, progresses on acceleration techniques, higher order integrators, non-adiabatic ring polymer dynamics, ring-polymer instantons, and improvements to path integral approximations to real time observables to name only a few, have been proposed. In this school, we will start from introductory lectures for non-experienced participants, and go up to more advanced and recent techniques. We will have hands-on sessions where participants will also be able to ask the lecturers and experienced users and developers of PI methods about how to apply them in their own research.

Application for funding

Due to generous funding from CECAM, Psi-k, and Marvel, we will be able to partially contribute towards the local expenses for some participants. Attendees who wish to apply for partial funding should submit a file titled SURNAME.PDF containing a CV and a letter of support from their supervisor, using the "Files" tab that will become available in the CECAM website (http://www.cecam.org/workshop-0-1528.html) after registration. In addition, for a limited number of attendees we will be able to provide funding for both accommodation and travel expenses. This will be provided only in exceptional financial circumstances and hence attendees requesting this should provide a statement on why full funding is required in addition to the other documents. Review of applications for funding will begin on March 2nd and will continue until all funding has been allocated.

Contributed talks and posters

In addition to the pedagogical lectures by experts in path integral methods, all the attendees at the school are highly encouraged to present their current research (whether on path integral methods or other topics) at the poster session. We will also be accepting applications to present contributed talks at one of the seven available 30 mins slots during the meeting. To apply to give a contributed talk, please include in an abstract of your talk together with the documents listed above. Participants selected to give these talks will automatically qualify for funding (local expenses). Review of applications for contributed talks will begin on March 2nd and will continue until all speaking slots have been assigned.