A
Collider Searches
Dedicated triggers and offline reconstruction at the LHC for highly ionizing particles consistent with Dirac monopoles up to 4 TeV. Lead: MoEDAR collaboration interface.
Established 2014 · Geneva, Switzerland
Investigating the existence of magnetic monopoles, the missing symmetry of electromagnetism.
monopole.center coordinates international research, fellowships, and public education in fundamental physics. Our scientists pursue direct and indirect evidence of isolated magnetic charge across particle, astrophysical, and condensed-matter regimes.
Active research programs across four experimental and theoretical fronts.
The center maintains coordinated programs spanning collider searches, cosmic-ray detection, condensed-matter analogs, and theoretical foundations. Each program operates with independent funding and shared computational infrastructure.
B
Cosmic Monopole Detection
Operation of induction-loop arrays in IceCube and Antarctic deep-ice deployments to bound cosmic monopole flux below the Parker limit across mass ranges 10^7 to 10^17 GeV.
C
Condensed-Matter Analogs
Spin-ice systems and synthetic gauge fields in cold-atom platforms providing emergent monopole signatures relevant to theoretical confinement scenarios.
D
Theory and Phenomenology
Grand-unified embeddings, 't Hooft-Polyakov constructions, and electroweak monopole models. Bi-annual workshop series on dyon dynamics and Dirac quantization.
Graduate fellowships, summer schools, and public outreach.
The center sustains a structured pipeline from graduate study through faculty placement. We host two annual summer schools and maintain open-access curricula in topological field theory and detection methodology.
MPC-501
Foundations of Magnetic Monopole Theory
Dirac quantization, 't Hooft-Polyakov solitons, BPS bounds, dyons, and grand unified monopoles. Twelve-week graduate seminar.
Autumn term
15 ECTS
Prof. Vasquez
MPC-512
Experimental Detection Methods
Induction techniques, NTD plastic detectors, time-of-flight reconstruction, and trigger design for highly ionizing rare events.
Spring term
12 ECTS
Dr. Nakamura
MPC-630
Topological Phases in Condensed Matter
Spin ice, artificial gauge fields, and emergent monopoles in correlated electron systems with hands-on lab rotations.
Winter term
10 ECTS
Prof. Chen
MPC-720
Cosmological Constraints & the Parker Bound
Galactic magnetic field survival arguments, monopole abundance limits, inflation, and post-inflationary creation mechanisms.
Block module
6 ECTS
Dr. Larsson
Selected work from the center's research staff and affiliates.
All publications are deposited in the center's open repository within 30 days of acceptance. The list below includes high-impact and recent contributions; full archives are available via the publications portal.
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Experiment
Search for magnetic monopoles produced via the Schwinger mechanism in heavy-ion collisions
Physical Review Letters · Vol 137 · 2026 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.014
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Theory
Electroweak monopole production cross sections beyond leading order
Journal of High Energy Physics · Issue 04 · 2026 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.009
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Experiment
Bounds on cosmic monopole flux from a 7-year IceCube exposure
Astrophysical Journal · Vol 980 · 2025 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.118
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Condensed Matter
Emergent magnetic monopoles in synthetic gauge fields of cold strontium lattices
Nature Physics · Vol 21 · 2025 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.095
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Theory
Revisiting the Parker bound under turbulent galactic dynamos
Physical Review D · Vol 111 · 2025 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.061
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Review
Status of monopole searches: a 2025 review
Reports on Progress in Physics · Vol 88 · 2025 · DOI: 10.48721/MPC.001
Faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and senior staff.
The center is led by a director and four program leads, supported by 14 permanent researchers and a rotating cohort of postdocs and visiting scholars. Composition is reviewed every five years by an external advisory board.
Prof. Eleanor Vasquez
Director · Theory program lead
Theoretical particle physicist; focus on electroweak monopole models and Dirac quantization.
PhD Princeton, 2002 · Geneva
Dr. Kenji Nakamura
Collider program lead
Experimentalist with the MoEDAL collaboration. Trigger design and offline reconstruction.
PhD Tokyo, 2007 · CERN-resident
Dr. Marit Larsson
Cosmic detection lead
Astroparticle physicist with the IceCube collaboration; ice-instrumentation specialist.
PhD Uppsala, 2010 · Stockholm
Prof. Rosalind Chen
Condensed-matter program lead
Cold-atom physicist; emergent gauge fields and synthetic monopole textures.
PhD MIT, 2008 · Zurich
Dr. Babatunde Okafor
Senior research fellow
Cosmological constraints, magnetohydrodynamics, and Parker-bound extensions.
PhD Cape Town, 2015 · Geneva
Dr. Tomoko Iwata
Senior research fellow
Quantum simulation of gauge field theories with neutral atoms.
PhD Kyoto, 2014 · Zurich
Press, partnerships, and academic correspondence.
All academic and administrative inquiries should reach the relevant office below. The center responds to press requests within two business days and to partnership inquiries within ten.
Office of the Director
director@monopole.center
+41 22 767 0042
Press & Communications
press@monopole.center
+41 22 767 0061
Education Office
fellowships@monopole.center
+41 22 767 0078
Industrial Partnerships
partnerships@monopole.center
+41 22 767 0090