Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE)

A Severo Ochoa center since 2012

In 1991 the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) was founded as a consortium of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. For 25 years we have been exploring the cosmic and high energy frontiers to address fundamental questions about our Universe. At IFAE we conduct experimental and theoretical research at the frontiers of fundamental physics, namely in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology.

We are involved in the ATLAS project at the LHC, the T2K neutrino experiment in Japan, the MAGIC telescopes in La Palma, the Dark Energy Survey project in Chile and the Cherenkov Telescope Array in La Palma and Chile, among others. We focus our research on the hottest topics in fundamental physics from particles to the cosmos.

At IFAE we work at the cutting edge of detector technology, developing pixel detectors for High Energy Physics, telescope cameras and detectors for medical imaging and other scientific and industrial fields. Our facilities include a microelectronics laboratory with state-of-the-art packaging and assembly technologies, a clean room, a data center, a mechanical workshop, electronics labs, an optical room and a shielded room.

Key Facts of Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE)

3,5 Competitive/Base
Ratio of competitive vs. base funding in 2016.
95% Q1 Articles
Percentage of the 225 published articles of 2016 in first quartile journals.
120 International Presences
Number of presentations at International Conferences in 2016.
107 International Committee
Number of international committee memberships or leadership positions in year 2016.
The SO program has allowed IFAE to perform a qualitative step forward in two crucial aspects: on the one hand in its technological portfolio by equipping its workshop with landmark equipment for microelectronics, and on the other hand in its human capital by hiring top class scientific personnel and completing its administrative structure.
Manel Martínez
Scientific Director of the Severo Ochoa Program, and main responsible of SO implementation at IFAE