What is LAPTh?

Who are we?

The LAPTh is a mixed research unit of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Savoie Mont Blanc University (USMB). It is both funded by the CNRS (via the Institute of Physics(INP) to which the laboratory is attached) and by the USMB. It is attached to the UFR Sciences and Mountains of the USMB.

LAPTh physicists seek to understand the origin and evolution of the major structures of our Universe and develop the fundamental laws that govern physical phenomena. In close collaboration with experimental physicists and mathematicians, the laboratory’s researchers study the fundamental questions raised by observation and thus attempt to push the boundaries of knowledge ever further.

LAPTh has around thirty permanent members (CNRS researchers, teacher-researchers and administrative and technical staff). The laboratory regularly welcomes post-doctoral fellows (temporary staff) funded by various sources, in particular the National Research Agency (ANR) and the Future Investment Programs (ENIGMASS Labex). LAPTh members supervise doctoral students and Bachelor’s and Master’s (1 and 2) interns.

They also participate and organize courses of different levels at USMB, Université Grenoble Alpes, ENS Lyon and UCBL. Finally, LAPTh welcomes many French and foreign visitors for stays ranging from a few days to several months.

Located on the Annecy university campus, the laboratory benefits from the geographical proximity of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which is one of the most important and respected scientific research centers in the world located in Geneva (Switzerland).

In Annecy, the LAPTh and the Annecy Laboratory of Particle Physics (LAPP, composed of experimental physicists, teacher-researchers, post-doctoral students, doctoral students and technical staff) share premises and collaborate closely.

LAPTh collaborates with other regional laboratories such as the Laboratory of Subatomic Physics and Cosmology (LPSC) located in Grenoble. [ENIGMASS]

At the international level
LAPTh is involved in various collaborations on five continents: – Europe – Russia – United States – Canada – Asia (India, Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam) – Middle East (Lebanon, Israel) – North Africa (Algeria, Morocco) – Australia.

LAPTh regularly organizes international scientific events such as “Recent Advances in Quantum Integrable Systems” (RAQIS) in mathematical physics or Physics at TeV Colliders (PhysTeV) in particle physics.

The excellence of LAPTh is illustrated by the award of 4 CNRS bronze medals and by the fact that, since the creation of the University of Savoie, 6 LAPTh teacher-researchers have been appointed to the Institut Universitaire de France. In addition, a member of the laboratory has been the recipient of two prestigious prizes: the Max-Planck and Dannie-Heineman prizes. One of our researchers received the Alfredo di Braccio prize from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Italy).

As well as the Friedel–Volterra Prize 2022 (prize awarded jointly by the French Physical Society (SFP) and the Italian Physical Society (SIF)).

Et un Young Scientist Award de IUPAP (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics).

History of LAPTh:

1979: creation of the theoretical physics group within LAPP.

1991: creation of the ENSLAPP laboratory, URA1436 (Associated Research Unit) of the CNRS, which is made up of two groups, one based at the ENS in Lyon, the other in Annecy-le-Vieux.

1998: the Lyon part of the group joins the physics laboratory of the ENS Lyon, the Annecy-le-Vieux component becomes the LAPTh, Annecy-le-Vieux Laboratory of Theoretical Physics.

1999: LAPTh becomes the joint research unit: UMR 5108 of the CNRS and USMB.