Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory (Nuclear Lattice EFT) combines the model-independent framework of chiral EFT with non-perturbative numerical techniques inspired by lattice field theory. It provides a first-principles approach to nuclear structure and reactions, starting from the symmetries of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD).

In this approach, nucleons are placed on the sites of a discrete spacetime lattice, and their interactions—derived from chiral EFT—are implemented through auxiliary fields and Monte Carlo simulations. This enables direct calculations of nuclear binding energies, excitation spectra, scattering amplitudes, and other observables, especially in systems where traditional methods become computationally intractable.

Nuclear Lattice EFT continues to be an active area of research, offering a promising bridge between the fundamental theory of QCD and the complex phenomenology of nuclei, all within a systematically improvable and symmetry-respecting framework.