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Theory of Condensed Matter
Theoretical Condensed Matter physics is about building models of physical processes, often driven by experimental data, generalising the solutions of those models to make experimental predictions, and transferring the concepts gained into other areas of research. Theory plays an important role in understanding known phenomena and in predicting new ones.
With over seventy members, the TCM Group is one of the largest research Groups in the Cavendish Laboratory, and the largest university Condensed Matter Theory group in the country. Able to trace its history back for over sixty years, it has been home to many leading theoreticians.
Starting at the first principles microscopic level - with the Schrödinger equation - many properties of materials can now be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. We work on refining and developing new calculational tools and applying them to problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.
Solids often show unusual collective behaviour resulting from cooperative quantum or classical phenomena. For this type of physics a more model-based approach is appropriate, and we are using such methods to attack problems in magnetism, superconductivity, nonlinear optics, mesoscopic systems, polymers, and colloids.
Collective behaviour comes even more to the fore in systems on a larger scale. As examples, we work on self-organising structures in "soft" condensed matter systems, non-linear dynamics of interacting systems, the observer in quantum mechanics, and models of biophysical processes, from the molecular scale up to neural systems.
We congratulate Tom Price, Sam Smith and Thomas Bilitewski on passing their PhD vivas. Tom recently started a postdoc position at Utrecht University, Sam has a job in London and Thomas a position in a Max Planck Institute.
We congratulate Philip Greulich on his appointment to a Lectureship in Applied Mathematics at the University of Southampton.
News archive(Click the above tab to reload the Seminars list.)
More seminars- Exploring the role of water in molecular recognition: predicting protein ligandability using a combinatorial search of surface hydration sites. J. Phys. - Condens. Mat. 28 344007 (2016)
- Synthetic dimensions in the strong-coupling limit: Supersolids and pair superfluids Phys. Rev. A 94 023630 (2016)
- A single dividing cell population with imbalanced fate drives oesophageal tumour growth. Nat. Cell Biol. (2016)
- Defining the clonal dynamics leading to mouse skin tumour initiation. Nature 536 298 - 303 (2016)
- Raman scattering in correlated thin films as a probe of chargeless surface states Phys. Rev. B 94 060408 (2016)
- Genuine Quantum Signatures in Synchronization of Anharmonic Self-Oscillators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117 073601 (2016)
- Nondeterministic self-assembly with asymmetric interactions Phys. Rev. E 94 022404 (2016)
- Floquet approach to bichromatically driven cavity-optomechanical systems Phys. Rev. A 94 023803 (2016)
- Report on the sixth blind test of organic crystal structure prediction methods. Acta Crystallogr. B 72 439 - 459 (2016)
- Finite-wavelength surface-tension-driven instabilities in soft solids, including instability in a cylindrical channel through an elastic solid. Phys. Rev. E 94 023107 (2016)
- Synthesis and stability of xenon oxides Xe2O5 and Xe3O2 under pressure. Nature Chem. 8 784 - 790 (2016)
- Jastrow correlation factor for periodic systems Phys. Rev. B 94 (2016)
- Vibrational effects on surface energies and band gaps in hexagonal and cubic ice. J. Chem. Phys. 145 044703 (2016)
- Tracing cellular dynamics in tissue development, maintenance and disease. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 43 38 - 45 (2016)
- Trion formation in a two-dimensional hole-doped electron gas Phys. Rev. B 94 041410 (2016)
- Rationalization of the Color Properties of Fluorescein in the Solid State: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study. Chem. - Eur. J. 22 10065 - 10073 (2016)
- Fermionic response from fractionalization in an insulating two-dimensional magnet Nat. Phys. (2016)
- Form and function in gene regulatory networks: the structure of network motifs determines fundamental properties of their dynamical state space. J. Roy. Soc. Interface 13 (2016)
- Electronic and magnetic properties of superconducting LnO1-x F x BiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, and Nd) from first principles. J. Phys. - Condens. Mat. 28 345504 (2016)
- Dynamic heterogeneity as a strategy of stem cell self-renewal. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (2016)
Theoretical Condensed Matter physics is about building models of physical processes, often driven by experimental data, generalising the solutions of those models to make experimental predictions, and transferring the concepts gained into other areas of research. Theory plays an important role in understanding known phenomena and in predicting new ones.
With over seventy members, the TCM Group is one of the largest research Groups in the Cavendish Laboratory, and the largest university Condensed Matter Theory group in the country. Able to trace its history back for over sixty years, it has been home to many leading theoreticians.
Starting at the first principles microscopic level - with the Schrödinger equation - many properties of materials can now be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. We work on refining and developing new calculational tools and applying them to problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.
Solids often show unusual collective behaviour resulting from cooperative quantum or classical phenomena. For this type of physics a more model-based approach is appropriate, and we are using such methods to attack problems in magnetism, superconductivity, nonlinear optics, mesoscopic systems, polymers, and colloids.
Collective behaviour comes even more to the fore in systems on a larger scale. As examples, we work on self-organising structures in "soft" condensed matter systems, non-linear dynamics of interacting systems, the observer in quantum mechanics, and models of biophysical processes, from the molecular scale up to neural systems.
News
We congratulate Tom Price, Sam Smith and Thomas Bilitewski on passing their PhD vivas. Tom recently started a postdoc position at Utrecht University, Sam has a job in London and Thomas a position in a Max Planck Institute.
We congratulate Philip Greulich on his appointment to a Lectureship in Applied Mathematics at the University of Southampton.
Recent Publications
- Exploring the role of water in molecular recognition: predicting protein ligandability using a combinatorial search of surface hydration sites. J. Phys. - Condens. Mat. 28 344007 (2016)
- Synthetic dimensions in the strong-coupling limit: Supersolids and pair superfluids Phys. Rev. A 94 023630 (2016)
- A single dividing cell population with imbalanced fate drives oesophageal tumour growth. Nat. Cell Biol. (2016)
- Defining the clonal dynamics leading to mouse skin tumour initiation. Nature 536 298 - 303 (2016)
- Raman scattering in correlated thin films as a probe of chargeless surface states Phys. Rev. B 94 060408 (2016)
- Genuine Quantum Signatures in Synchronization of Anharmonic Self-Oscillators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117 073601 (2016)
- Nondeterministic self-assembly with asymmetric interactions Phys. Rev. E 94 022404 (2016)
- Floquet approach to bichromatically driven cavity-optomechanical systems Phys. Rev. A 94 023803 (2016)
- Report on the sixth blind test of organic crystal structure prediction methods. Acta Crystallogr. B 72 439 - 459 (2016)
- Finite-wavelength surface-tension-driven instabilities in soft solids, including instability in a cylindrical channel through an elastic solid. Phys. Rev. E 94 023107 (2016)
- Synthesis and stability of xenon oxides Xe2O5 and Xe3O2 under pressure. Nature Chem. 8 784 - 790 (2016)
- Jastrow correlation factor for periodic systems Phys. Rev. B 94 (2016)
- Vibrational effects on surface energies and band gaps in hexagonal and cubic ice. J. Chem. Phys. 145 044703 (2016)
- Tracing cellular dynamics in tissue development, maintenance and disease. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 43 38 - 45 (2016)
- Trion formation in a two-dimensional hole-doped electron gas Phys. Rev. B 94 041410 (2016)
- Rationalization of the Color Properties of Fluorescein in the Solid State: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study. Chem. - Eur. J. 22 10065 - 10073 (2016)
- Fermionic response from fractionalization in an insulating two-dimensional magnet Nat. Phys. (2016)
- Form and function in gene regulatory networks: the structure of network motifs determines fundamental properties of their dynamical state space. J. Roy. Soc. Interface 13 (2016)
- Electronic and magnetic properties of superconducting LnO1-x F x BiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, and Nd) from first principles. J. Phys. - Condens. Mat. 28 345504 (2016)
- Dynamic heterogeneity as a strategy of stem cell self-renewal. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (2016)