Anyons in Quantum Many-Body Systems

The workshop Anyons in Quantum Many-Body Systems took place during the period January 21 - 25, 2019, and hosted about 50 participants from 14 different countries. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss opportunities and current challenges in the field of anyon research.

Anyons are a type of quasiparticles that can exist in two-dimensional systems. They are neither bosons, nor fermions, and they can have a charge, which is only a fraction of the elementary charge. The fractional charge has already been observed in experiments, and theoretical studies show that different types of anyons can exist in a variety of models. The study of anyons requires new tools to be developed, and there is still much we do not know about them.

During the workshop there were several talks that covered a broad range of topics within anyon research. The talks were given by a mixture of researchers at different career stages and backgrounds. A portion of the invited talks were given by younger scientist, who had recently obtained faculty positions. Most of the talks covered theoretical aspects, but there were also talks discussing recent experimental progress. The younger participants had the opportunity to present their work in two poster sessions, which gave rise to lively discussions. The program also included time slots for discussions among the participants to support the formation of new collaborations and the further development of existing collaborations. Monday afternoon Charles Kane gave a colloquium on ``Symmetry, topology and electronic phases of matter''. The talk was attended by a large number of people, including conference participants, institute members, and members from the neighboring institutes, and it was necessary to expand the seminar room to its largest possible size.

Anyon research is currently a very active research field. In the last decades, it has led to several discoveries of new types of behavior that quantum many-body systems can exhibit, and this series of discoveries is likely to continue in the years to come. There is also a lot of work to be done to fully understand these behaviors, and what is needed for them to arise. The workshop contributed to the exchange and generation of ideas in this lively research field.