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Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics

Welcome

Welcome to the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics. True to the groundbreaking discoveries that have marked theoretical physics at Caltech, the Burke Institute will strengthen Caltech's leading role in humanity's quest to discover fundamental laws of nature and to explain natural phenomena at all scales—from subatomic, atomic, and molecular scales to the scales of celestial objects and the universe itself. Read more

Awards and Honors

All News
Frontiers of Science Award: Physics
June 1, 2026
Cheung, Gukov and Kitaev receive the Frontiers of Science Award
Sergei Gukov
April 22, 2026
Sergei Gukov Receives AI+Math DARPA Grant
Elias Most headshot
March 4, 2026
Elias Most Named 2026 Sloan Fellows

News and Media Highlights

All News
Yici Zhong headshot
August 17, 2026
Synchronized Stars Power Cosmic Radio Laser
Mark Wise
July 21, 2026
Caltech Mourns the Passing of Mark B. Wise (1953–2026)
Jim Fuller
June 22, 2026
Fuller proposes new model of how stars die

Seminars

All Events
September 11, 2026 2:00 pm

Special TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Some New Ideas in Stellar Explosions
Lucy McNeill, Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University,
September 14, 2026 4:00 pm

Quantum Matter Seminar

East Bridge 114
Spectral transitions in OTOCs: an alternative approach to scrambling in random quantum circuits
Kai Klocke, Postdoctoral Fellow, Condensed Matter Physics, University of Maryland,
September 18, 2026 2:00 pm

Special TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Self-Gravity and In-Situ Object Formation in AGN Disks
Hannalore Gerling-Dunsmore, Graduate Student, Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences 391 UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder,
Barry Simon
  • Faculty Interview

Barry Simon

Lifetime of Numbers: Q&A with Barry Simon

Read More About Barry Simon
Hirosi Ooguri headshot
  • Faculty Interview

Hirosi Ooguri

Science Communication: A Conversation with Hirosi Ooguri

Read More About Hirosi Ooguri
Fernando Brandão
  • Faculty Interview

Fernando Brandão

The Power of Entanglement: A Conversation with Fernando Brandão

Read More About Fernando Brandão
Philip Hopkins
  • Faculty Interview

Philip Hopkins

Interactions in Space: An Interview with Philip Hopkins

Read More About Philip Hopkins
Jason Alicea
  • Faculty Interview

Jason Alicea

From Theory to Reality: An Interview with Jason Alicea

Read More About Jason Alicea
Kathryn Zurek
  • Faculty Interview

Kathryn Zurek

Shining New Light on Dark Matter

Read More About Kathryn Zurek
Cliff Cheung
  • Faculty Interview

Cliff Cheung

The Miracle and Beauty of Physics: An Interview with Cliff Cheung

Read More About Cliff Cheung
Xie Chen
  • Faculty Interview

Xie Chen

Quantum Information Meets Condensed Matter: Inside the Mind of Xie Chen

Read More About Xie Chen

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