Fermilab’s Batavia site is open to the public. View details on hours, activities and site access requirements.
The Fermilab colloquium introduces a wide range of scientific and science-related topics presented by notable speakers from across the country and around the world.
The colloquium is open to the public. Talks are held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons in One West in Wilson Hall (WH1W). To enter the site you will need a REAL ID-compliant identification.
Upcoming colloquia
An integral part of Fermilab’s academic culture, “orange” colloquium talks are aimed at a broad scientific and technical audience, while “green” talks are of general interest to everyone.
Appropriate for physicists Appropriate for all attendees
July 30, 2025, 3:30 pm US/Central
What makes science research and research management work in the most efficient manner? We see instances of this historically-- often within pockets of scientific activity at different points in time and location where a certain ecosystem has managed to “come together”. Examples may be found in the evolution of quantum mechanics (Gottingen, Copenhagen etc.), computing and information (Bell Labs, IBM, PARC), and the internet (Si valley). Based upon my experiences in electronic materials research--where I have gone back and forth between bench research and research management, and across industrial r&d, national laboratory and academia—I will comment on what I have observed to be instructive in the art and science of practicing applied research, both strategically as well and tactically, particularly in solid state materials research and its employment for information technologies. I will offer my thoughts through experiences in three major research projects that I have had the honor of working in (as a scientist and as a research executive) over the years: materials for microelectronics, quantum information, and environmental sensing. I will also describe my thoughts on important changes in this “ecosystem” that have emerged and are relevant to the younger generation of scientists: the importance of startups, the role of IP, multidisciplinarity, the addiction to hype and publication obsession, and the blurring boundary—at least in some fields—between basic science and applied technology.
Aug. 6, 2025, 3:30 pm US/Central
The next groundbreaking frontier in Quantum Information Science (QIS) is the development of low-noise interconnections over fiber optics between superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) quantum devices. High-efficiency microwave-optical transduction serves as a pivotal enabler for distributed quantum computing and sensor networks. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of quantum transduction achieved by coupling SRF cavities to electro-optic optical resonators, enabling efficient conversion between microwave and optical photons. This research, supported by the DOE Early Career Research Program, advances technologies for quantum computing and sensing, and complements the mission of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center at Fermilab.
Oct. 8, 2025, 3:30 pm US/Central