This workshop concerns the field of quantum electrodynamics and light-matter interaction, in particular the topics: open quantum systems, fluctuation induced Casimir-Lifshitz forces in and out of thermal equilibrium, radiative heat transfer, and quantum thermodynamics. It will focus on the cut-edge theoretical and experimental findings in the field, with the aim of boosting these emerging research fields toward a deeper fundamental and applicative development. It will tackle, among others, new emerging themes related to quantum thermalization mechanisms, new emergent materials for energy management, quantum thermal machines, entanglement, metamaterials, light harvesting complexes, thermophotovoltaic cells, critical phenomena and active matter.

Here a list of already confirmed invited speakers:

1. Franco Nori (RIKEN, Japan)
2. Rudi Podgornik (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
3. Stefan Buhmann (University of Kassel, Germany)
4. Igor Bondarev (North Carolina Central University, USA)
5. Mathias Bostrom (Centre of Excellence ENSEMBLE3, Poland)
6. Cheng-Long Zhou (HIT, China)
7. Atsuchi Sakurai (Niigata University, Japan)
8. Kanu Sinha (University of Arizona, USA)
9. Gert-Ludwig Ingold (Universität Augsburg, Germany)
10. Mark Fromhold (University of Nottingham, UK)
11. Zihao Zhang (University of North Texas, USA)
12. Miguel Rubi (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain)
13. Alejandro Rodriguez (Princeton University, USA)
14. Alejandro Manjavacas (Instituto de Química Física "Blas Cabrera", Spain)
15. Kim Milton (University of Oklahoma, USA)
16. Wang Boxiang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China)
17. Thorsten Emig (University of Paris-Saclay-CNRS, France)
18. Sebastian Volz (LIMMS - CNRS, France/Japan)
19. Ho Bun Chan (HKUST, Hong Kong)
20. Francesco Banfi (University of Lyon, France)
21. Matthias Krüger (University of Göttingen, Germany)
22. Stefan Scheel (Universität Rostock, Germany)
23. Jeremy Munday (University of California - Davis, USA)
24. Yong Zhang (HIT, China)
25. Inigo Liberal (University of Navarra, Spain)
26. Philippe Ben-Abdallah (Institute d’Optique-CNRS, France)
27. Carlo Forestiero (University of Naples « Federico II », Italy)
28. Alberto Imparato (University of Trieste, Italy)