X-lites Network Incubator Workshop: Structured Light at High Intensity
DATE: Fri. Feb 6 and Sat. Feb 7, 2026
TIME: All day Friday and Saturday morning
LOCATION: Joint Centre for Extreme Photonics (JCEP), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Organizing Committee:
- Lahsen Assoufid (Argonne National Laboratory)
- Andre Staudte (Joint Centre for Extreme Photonics)
- Mike Chini (Ohio State University)
Workshop Facilitator: Dr. Gemma Jiang
Senior Team Scientist, Colorado State University - Inst for Research in the Social Sciences
Staff Support: Matt Boersma (Admin, Communications), TJ Ronningen (Event Coordinator)
Program Overview
Over the past decade, the understanding and applications of structured light have expanded rapidly, driven by the pursuit of greater control in light-matter interactions. When structured light enters the high-intensity regime, it presents both challenges and opportunities of particular relevance to the X-Lites community and its facilities.
The X-Lites Incubator on Structured Light will bring together researchers and decision makers from academia, national laboratories to explore opportunities and define directions for transformative research and collaboration in structured-light science under extreme optical-field regimes.
Through invited presentations, focused discussions, and informal networking, this two-day incubator aims to:
- Foster a collaborative community at the intersection of structured light, ultrafast optics, and high-intensity physics;
- Catalyze new collaborations by identifying shared scientific and technological priorities;
- Align research goals across small, mid-scale, and large-scale facilities to advance high-intensity structured-light science;
- Launch joint experimental initiatives leveraging X-Lites facility capabilities; and
Develop a roadmap and advocacy strategy for future research in high-intensity light-matter interactions with structured light.
Scope and Topics
Structured light refers to optical fields whose amplitude, phase, polarization, or temporal profile are deliberately sculpted, often on the scale of a single optical cycle, to introduce four-dimensional spatiotemporal structure. By coupling light’s spatial and temporal degrees of freedom, structured light offers unprecedented control over light-matter interactions.
While traditional laser science has emphasized smooth, Gaussian beams, structured-light methods intentionally introduce spatial and temporal complexity, encoding angular momentum, spatial chirality, and ultrafast modulation, to uncover new regimes of optical control.
High intensity denotes fields strong enough to ionize matter, generate plasma, and trigger nonlinear or relativistic effects, unlocking new physics and enabling novel applications in ultrafast and strong-field science.
Thematic Clusters
The incubator program is organized around three successive topic clusters:
- Creation, Transport & Diagnostics
Techniques for generating structured-light fields at high intensities and large bandwidths, preserving their integrity through propagation, and characterizing their space-time structure. - Scientific Applications at Non-Relativistic Intensities
Applying structured light for spectroscopy of chiral matter, imprinting light structure on free electrons and X-rays, and structured light-enhanced quantum sensing. - Scientific Applications at Relativistic Intensities
Using structured light to explore relativistic plasma physics, and light-based particle acceleration.
Each cluster will feature two stage-setting presentations, followed by interactive discussions in groups of varying sizes, designed to give all participants an opportunity to contribute and shape future directions.
To capture the outcomes of these discussions, participants will be invited to contribute brief written group summaries, which will be compiled into a community report and shared with all attendees after the event.
Format, Participation, and Registration
In the weeks leading up to the in-person meeting, a virtual seminar series will provide background context and highlight current advances in structured-light research, setting the stage for deeper discussions during the incubator.
The in-person event will emphasize interaction over presentation, focusing on dialogue, brainstorming, and community building.
There will be no registration fee, and the event will be fully catered, including coffee breaks, lunches, and a joint dinner for all participants.
Participation is by invitation, with limited capacity to ensure meaningful engagement among attendees from universities, national laboratories, and X-Lites partner facilities.
Space at the incubator is limited.
Registration closes on Jan 7, 2026.
You will receive a confirmation or decline for the event by Jan 10, 2026.
Location and Setting
The workshop will be held at the penthouse in the Demarais building of the University of Ottawa Address: 12th floor, 55 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, ON K1N 9B9
The incubator will take place February 6-7, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada, during the city’s celebrated Winterlude Festival, a vibrant event featuring outdoor art, ice sculptures, and skating along the historic Rideau Canal. The setting offers participants a unique blend of scientific focus and winter atmosphere in Canada’s capital.
Travel and Lodging
Ottawa is easily accessible via Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and is well connected by rail and highway from other major Canadian and U.S. cities.
TRAVEL SUPPORT:
X-lites can support travel reimbursements for a limited number of attendees. Priority for this support will be given to the organizing committee, early career participants, and invited speakers/participants identified by the organizing committee. Submit your registration to apply for support.
Space at the incubator is limited.
Registration closes on Jan 7, 2026.
You will receive a confirmation or decline for the event by Jan 10, 2026.
What is the X-lites Network?
The Extreme Light in Intensity, Time, and Space (X-lites) network promotes collaboration around the world to make use of new extreme light facilities.
The network is bringing together facility users and facility operators to support high-impact science and engineering using extreme light.
