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Workshop on

Topological Textures in Light, Magnetism, and Soft Matter

5 -9 April 2027, Dresden, Germany

The international workshop is jointly organised by COST Action CA23134 POLYTOPO and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (MPIPKS) in Dresden, Germany.

The registration fee is €200 and applies to all participants. MPIPKS will cover accommodation and meals. Limited funding is available to help cover travel costs.

POLYTOPO will provide travel reimbursement and a modest daily allowance to a limited number of participants.

Apply here

Important Dates

  • Applications received before 6 December 2026 are considered preferentially
  • Friday, February 5, 2027:
    Notification regarding participation, abstract acceptance.
    Invitations to be sent via the e-COST platform.
  • Friday, February 19, 2027:
    Finalization of the participant list.
  • Friday, March 5, 2027:
    Final program published on the website.

Scientific Committee

Organisation

Rebecca Klärner, MPIPKS Dresden (DE)

Confirmed Speakers

Andrea Alú (US)
Geoffrey Beach (US)
Konstantin Bliokh (ES)
Claire Cisowski (UK)
Cornelia Denz (DE)
Karin Everschor-Sitte (DE)
Kayla Fallon (UK)
Amalio Fernández-Pacheco (AT)
Peter Fischer (US)
Sonja Franke-Arnold (UK)
Markus Garst (DE)
Harald Giessen (DE)
Radu Ignat (FR)
Stavros Komineas (GR)
Eileen Otte (US)
Darius Pohl (DE)
Miha Ravnik (SI)
Achim Rosch (DE)
Filipp Rybakov (SE)
Ivan Smalyukh (US)
Andrey Surzhykov (DE)
Paul Sutcliffe (UK)
Lijian Zhang (CN)

Scope

Topological textures, such as skyrmions and hopfions, arise in structured light, magnetic materials and liquid crystals. The physics behind their formation differs, but the topology does not.

This workshop brings theorists and experimentalists from all three communities together to work through what their textures share and where they differ.

Topics

  • Skyrmions and hopfions
  • Structured light and singular optics
  • Magnetic textures and chiral magnets
  • Liquid crystals and soft matter
  • Three-dimensional magnetism
  • Homotopy and knot theory
  • Texture dynamics and control
  • Topological photonics
Scope

Programme

  • Sunday, 4 April 2027 - Arrival (recommended)
  • Monday, 5 April 2027, morning - Opening
  • Friday, 9 April 2027, afternoon - Closing & Departure

The detailed program will be available by the beginning of March 2027, approximately.

Program

Meeting Venue

Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems

Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany

Venues

Important notes

  • Registration Fee

    The registration fee for the international workshop is 200€ and must be paid by all participants.

  • Personal Arrangements

    Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel. We recommend booking well in advance.

    Costs for accommodation and meals will be covered by the Max Planck Institute.

  • Entry Requirements

    Participants should independently ensure they meet entry requirements for Germany.
    For visa information, please visit the website of the Federal Foreign Office
    For all participants, also those who do not need a visa for entering Germany, please check the entry regulations of the European Union 

  • Budget Allocation

    The available budget will be allocated in accordance with the COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy.

  • Notification of Support

    Decisions regarding COST support will be communicated to participants well in advance of the meeting to allow sufficient time for travel arrangements.

  • Travel Reimbursement and Daily allowance

    The reimbursement consists of two components: long-distance travel and daily allowance (DA). 
    The maximum reimbursement for long-distance travel and the daily allowance rate, as specified in the COST Annotated Rules, may be re-adjusted following a decision by the Management Committee.
    Did you receive an invitation through e-COST to participate in the workshop in Prague? Does your invitation indicate that you are eligible for financial support? Read here the procedure to follow!

Accommodation Scam Warning

Please be aware of unauthorised emails sent to potential participants, offering to arrange accommodation for POLYTOPO events.
Please note that the POLYTOPO COST Action and the local organisers do NOT collaborate with any housing, travel, or accommodation companies, and no third party is authorised to contact participants on our behalf regarding hotel bookings.
We urge you not to share your credit card details or other personal information. The organization of the event is solely handled by the Visitors Program of MPIPKS Dresden and its staff, and any communication on the topic of accommodation will always come from @pks.mpg.de addresses or from the scientific coordinators.

Important notes