Unconventional Superconductors and Magnets

Workshop, May 12th - 14th, 2026

Unconventional superconductors are materials that exhibit superconductivity beyond the framework of BCS or Migdal–Eliashberg theories, often characterized by novel broken symmetries in addition to the usual U(1) gauge symmetry breaking. A parallel development has recently emerged in magnetism with the discovery of altermagnets—materials with collinear but compensated magnetic order that defy classification as either conventional ferromagnets or antiferromagnets. Together, these phenomena highlight some of the most exciting frontiers in quantum materials research, offering both fundamental challenges and promising pathways toward future quantum technologies.

This workshop will bring together leading experimentalists and theorists to discuss the latest developments in unconventional superconductors and magnets across a broad range of materials platforms. Topics will span the synthesis and discovery of new superconducting and magnetic systems, strategies for designing, manipulating, and amplifying the desired orders, and the development of next-generation experimental probes and theoretical frameworks. By fostering open dialogue between communities, the workshop aims to identify unifying principles, sharpen key scientific questions and accelerate progress in understanding and controlling these remarkable states of matter.

If you would like to attend the workshop, please apply by sending your abstract at spice(at)uni-mainz.de before March 3rd 2026. If you don't have an abstract, you can also apply by submitting a short explanation of why you would like to attend the workshop. If your application is successful, you will receive a link to register in March 2026. Participation fee is 650 euros. Accommodation is not included.

Organizers
Aharon Kapitulnik, Stanford University
Yonglong Xie, Rice University
Amir Yacoby, Harvard University

SPICE co-organizer
Jairo Sinova, JGU

Invited Speakers

Andrey Chubukov, UMN Claudia Felser, MPI Dresden Rafael Fernandes, UIUC Paco Guinea, IMDEA Long Ju, MIT Philip Kim, Harvard Emilia Morosan, Rice Yuki Motome, UTokyo Stuart Parkin, MPI Halle Marco Polini, UniPi

Takasada Shibauchi, UTokyo Libor Šmejkal, MPI Dresden Ronny Thomale, JMU Hai-Hu Wen, NJU Stephen D. Wilson, UCSB Xiaodong Xu, UW Ali Yazdani, Princeton