Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) is a singular research center born in 2000 devoted to research at the cutting edge in the fields of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science. Since its conception DIPC has stood for the promotion of excellence in research, which demands a flexible space where creativity is stimulated by diversity of perspectives. Its dynamic research community integrates local host scientists and a constant flow of international visiting researchers.
Light can do remarkable things, but it has limitations. Ordinary photons are bound by diffraction, which sets a limit on how tightly they can be confined in space. This is why focusing light to spots smaller than about half its wavelength is so difficult. But in certain materials, photons couple to vibrations of atoms or […]
The mystery of dark matter remains one of the most profound puzzles in modern astrophysics. We know it outweighs ordinary matter by a factor of five, yet it neither shines nor absorbs light. Its presence is betrayed only by the pull of gravity, shaping galaxies and bending light from more distant objects. For decades, scientists […]
When you look at a crystal—say, a piece of salt or a sheet of graphene—its atoms are not randomly scattered. They form an orderly grid, like tiles on a floor. Because the atoms are arranged in this repeating way, electrons moving through the crystal don’t behave as if they’re in free space. Instead, their motion […]
In physics, waves often reveal more than meets the eye. A ripple on a pond looks simple enough, but beneath its surface lies a rich mathematical structure that can connect something as everyday as water to the abstract worlds of optics, acoustics, and even quantum mechanics. A recent work brings this connection vividly to life […]
Positron Emission Tomography, or PET, is one of medicine’s most powerful tools for looking inside the human body, revealing not only anatomy but also how tissues are functioning. In a PET scan, a patient receives a tiny dose of a radioactive tracer that emits positrons, the antimatter counterparts of electrons. When a positron encounters an […]
Biochemistry • Chemistry • DIPC Biochemistry • Medicine • Nanotechnology
When you hear the word nanoparticle, it might sound like something futuristic or abstract. In reality, nanoparticles—tiny structures tens of thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair—are already part of modern medicine. Some are used to deliver drugs more effectively, while others help doctors see inside the body by acting as […]
Condensed matter • DIPC Advanced materials • Materials • Quantum physics
Imagine a material where electrons glide through without any resistance, moving like a perfectly synchronized dance troupe. This phenomenon, known as superconductivity, allows electricity to flow with zero energy loss, holding immense promise for everything from ultra-efficient power lines to advanced quantum computers. A a team of researchers dives into this fascinating world, focusing on […]
Imagine a lattice shaped like a network of interconnected triangles, called a kagome lattice, where atoms or particles struggle to find a comfortable arrangement. This unique structure creates a situation known as geometric frustration, where the particles can’t settle into a simple, orderly pattern because of the lattice’s shape. In a magnetic metal called FeGe […]
Astrophysics • DIPC Astrophysics • DIPC Particle Physics • Particle physics
Deep in the heart of exploding stars and colliding neutron stars lies a hidden light we’ve barely glimpsed — gamma rays in the mega-electron-volt (MeV) range. These elusive rays, carrying clues about cosmic explosions and mysterious phenomena like dark matter, have been hard to study due to technological limits. Enter COCOA , a compact, innovative […]
Each year, millions of people experience an ischaemic stroke, a condition where a blood clot blocks the flow of oxygen and nutrients to part of the brain. Even when doctors act quickly to remove the clot, many survivors struggle with long-term challenges like difficulty moving, remembering, or managing emotions. While treatments like clot-dissolving drugs or […]