Soft-matter systems exhibit nontrivial collective behavior, e.g. phase transitions and self-assembly. The pervasiveness of soft-matter is impressive with wide ranging applications in industry. However, what makes these systems particularly interesting for physicists is their ubiquity in Biology. For instance, the disordered elastic network shown above is actually found all over in our body. How does this disordered structure impart us mechanical integrity? Surprisingly, even in this system there is a phase transition somewhat analogous to ferromagnetism (see the movie below).

In my group we use the methods of classical statistical mechanics to investigate soft matter, both in and out of equilibrium. This involves the application of computational techniques such as Brownian Dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations and established techniques from liquid-state theory, such as (classical) density functional theory, integral equations, mode-coupling theory etc., as well as the development of new analytic and numerical approaches.

Research Highlights