We are a theoretical research group working at the interface of statistical physics, stochastic processes and complex systems, with a particular emphasis on understanding dynamics far from equilibrium. Our research is driven by fundamental questions about how randomness, structure, and interactions shape behavior in physical, chemical, biological, and engineered systems.
Our work is broadly organized around the following themes:
🔹 Non-Equilibrium Phenomena (Navigating Noise: Statistical Physics Beyond Equilibrium)
While the formalism of equilibrium physics is established in an elegant way within the Boltzmannian description, understanding of non-equilibrium systems remains elusive although they are prevalent in nature. We study systems that operate far from thermodynamic equilibrium—where classical assumptions of reversibility and detailed balance no longer apply. This includes investigating activation processes, chemical processes, first-passage processes, active systems, and dynamical phase transitions in driven and open interacting systems.
🔹 Search Processes and Stochastic Strategies (Physics of the Unpredictable: Strategy, Search, and Scale)
We investigate optimal strategies for locating targets or escaping from confining geometries, inspired by problems ranging from molecular transport to robotic exploration. Our work develops analytical and numerical frameworks to understand how stochastic resetting, intermittent search, and memory-based navigation can enhance efficiency in search and transport dynamics.
🔹 Living Systems and Biophysical Modeling (From Stochastic Paths to Living Systems)
A growing focus of the group is on applying stochastic modeling to biological processes. We study single-molecule biophysics, intracellular transport, and reaction-diffusion dynamics. Our goal is to uncover how noise, spatial organization, and non-equilibrium forces govern certain operational molecular function.
🔹 Thermodynamics at the Microscopic Scale (Thermal Physics in the Age of Noise)
At small length and energy scales, thermal fluctuations play a dominant role. We explore how classical thermodynamic laws are modified or generalized at the micro and nanoscale, especially in the presence of stochasticity, time-dependent driving, and resetting mechanisms. Topics include stochastic energetics, fluctuation theorems, entropy production, and uncertainty relations.
Our approach combines analytical theory, numerical simulations, and conceptual modeling, often in collaboration with experimentalists integrated with data analysis. Whether through abstract modeling or real-world biophysical or chemical processes, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how complexity emerge in systems governed by randomness and non-equilibrium.