News from FZU

We are pleased to invite you to the Dioscuri Symposium on Frontiers in Biophysics and Advanced Microscopy, featuring invited talks by leading experts. The programme will highlight recent developments and emerging directions in biophysics and biotechnology.

Abstract: Reconstructing the expansion history of the universe and the properties of dark energy has been a central goal in physical cosmology, with far-reaching implications for our understanding of fundamental physics. By examining the behavior and influence of dark energy through cosmological observations, we can gain insight into the forces driving the universe’s accelerated expansion. In this presentation, I will examine methods for reconstructing dark energy properties, assess findings from the latest observational data such as DESI DR2, and discuss potential advancements in the field that may enhance our understanding of the universe’s fundamental dynamics. I will also discuss the possibility of Phantom Crossing in the equation of state of dark energy considering recent cosmological observations.

Justin C. Feng from the Department of Cosmology and Gravitational Physics at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and independent researcher Chris Reiss have co-authored a study on using time dilation from special and general relativity to travel between stars without extreme aging differences between travelers and their home civilization.

Jan Ebr, Jakub Vícha, and Jiří Blažek from the Department of Astroparticle Physics at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences contributed to an article published recently in Nature Reviews Physics. The article deals with the topic of tuning event generators, which are computer programs that simulate particle collisions according to a theoretical model and generate hypothetical data that would correspond to real experiments on accelerators.

As the end of the year approaches, we at FZU have once again continued our tradition and decided to make the Christmas holidays more enjoyable for those who find themselves in difficult life situations. This year's Christmas donation had a broader scope – our help was directed not only to children, but this time also to seniors.

Abstract: Discover the cutting-edge intersection of quantum information and particle physics: learn how the recent detection of quantum entanglement in top quark pairs by ATLAS and CMS is opening new frontiers at the LHC.Recently, the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations made the first observation of quantum entanglement in top quark pairs, marking an exciting milestone at the LHC. At first glance, this might seem unsurprising - after all, the Standard Model is a quantum field theory. So why is this discovery generating so much buzz? In this seminar, I will unpack the technical challenges behind this measurement and illustrate how quantum information concepts can provide new tools for high-energy physics, and vice versa. I will also discuss the unexpected observation of toponium formation at the LHC, placing it in the broader phenomenological context: what makes modeling top quark pair production and decay so challenging? Finally, I will explore the prospects for the upcoming Run 3 dataset and the High-Luminosity LHC era, highlighting how quantum information techniques may open entirely new avenues in precision measurements and the emerging subfield of quantum information at the LHC. 

How science is transformed into a company, and what does it take to make a successful spin-off? These questions were addressed at the conference Od výzkumu k firmě: zakládání vědeckých start-upů a spin-offů (From Research to Business: Founding Scientific Start-ups and Spin-offs), organized by the Division of Optics’ team. The event offered an inspiring atmosphere and a diverse mix of participants – scientists, representatives of stat-up support providers, and start-up founders.

Jindřich Musil was born on January 19, 1934, in Březina. After graduating from the University of Defense in Brno in 1957, he started to pursue his career in science; first as a researcher at Tesla, then, from 1961, at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences at the Institute of Plasma Physics and the Institute of Physics. 

The seminar will be held on the occasion of the visit of colleagues from the Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science, Polish Academy of Sciences; Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw University of Technology; and Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics, Slovak Academy of Sciences. The invited speakers are experts on powder metallurgy, processing, corrosion and microstructural characterization of metallic materials with the focus, but not only on biodegradable metallic materials. In their presentations, our guests will introduce their institutes, current research activities, their main results and inventions and also possibilities of mutual collaboration.

Jan Loos, an emeritus member of the Department of Magnetics and Superconductors at the Cukrovarnická site, passed away on 9 November 2025 at the age of 95.