On October 23, researchers, students, and partners gathered at the Grande Conférence de l’Institut Courtois 2026, a flagship event dedicated this year to Multiscale Molecular and Hybrid Materials: Microstructure, Excitons, and Many-Body Dynamics. The conference brought together internationally recognized leaders in materials science, photonics, chemistry, and condensed matter physics.
The event was opened by Carlos Silva, Director of the Institut Courtois, who welcomed participants and highlighted the Institute’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research and advancing the understanding of complex materials systems.
Among the distinguished invited speakers were Sir Richard Friend (University of Cambridge), Natalie Stingelin (Georgia Institute of Technology), Aram Amassian (North Carolina State University), Audrey Laventure (Université de Montréal), and Christine Luscombe (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology).
The CERC-LM community was especially proud to see strong representation throughout the scientific program. External collaborator Natalie Stingelin delivered a presentation on the design of photonic structures for light and heat management in solution-processed optoelectronic devices, highlighting innovative approaches for next-generation solar energy technologies.
The conference also featured a presentation by Audrey Laventure, a member of the CERC-LM Core Team and Canada Research Chair in Functional Polymer Materials. Her lecture focused on structure-property relationships in functional polymer materials and advanced manufacturing approaches for next-generation electronic and responsive materials.
Later in the program, Carlos Silva presented the keynote lecture“From excitons to bioexcitons: many-body physics in conjugated polymers,” sharing perspectives from his research program and discussing how advanced spectroscopy, materials design, and theoretical modelling can work together to accelerate discoveries in quantum and photonic materials.
The afternoon poster session further highlighted the contributions of the CERC-LM community. Several trainees and researchers presented their work, including:
- Félix Thouin – Quantum information perspective on multidimensional spectroscopy
- Adair Campos Uscanga – Magic States in the Asymmetric Quantum Rabi Model
- Alejandro Leon Grande – Quantum dynamics of molecular aggregates using the Holstein Hamiltonian
- Meghan McNeil – Additive manufacturing of organic π-conjugated polymer materials for applications in flexible electronics
- David Tiede – Many-body Dynamics in Polaritonic Systems
The strong participation of CERC-LM researchers, collaborators, and trainees throughout the conference reflects the Chair’s commitment to advancing excellence in research, training the next generation of scientists, and building international collaborations at the forefront of light-matter interactions and advanced materials research.