Details of Grant

EPSRC Reference:

EP/J017639/1

Title:

Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cambridge - Critical Mass Grant

Principal Investigator:

Other Investigators:

Warner, Professor M	Terentjev, Professor E	Needs, Professor RJ
Simons, Professor BD	Cooper, Professor N

Researcher Co-Investigators:

Dr MJ Bhaseen

Dr D Cole

Dr P Lopez Rios

Project Partners:

Department:

Physics

Organisation:

University of Cambridge

Scheme:

Standard Research

Starts:

01 October 2012

Ends:

30 September 2016

Value (£):

2,980,631

EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:

Biophysics	Complex fluids & soft solids
Condensed Matter Physics	Materials Characterisation

EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:

No relevance to Underpinning Sectors

Related Grants:

Panel History:

Panel Date	Panel Name	Outcome
18 Apr 2012	EPSRC Physical Sciences Physics - April	Announced

Summary on Grant Application Form

As theoreticians, we construct models of physical and chemical processes that are generally inspired by experimental discoveries, we generalise these models and their solutions to make predictions for new experiments, and we transfer the concepts and theoretical tools which emerge from the solution of these models to other areas of research, in a concerted interdisciplinary effort. In short, the role of theory is to understand known phenomena observed in the laboratory or in everyday life, and to predict new physical processes and phenomena.

Our theoretical research is both about making calculations, to quantitatively understand and predict the behaviour of matter, but also about making models to illuminate the landscape of emergent behaviour in physics, chemistry, material science, and biology. The role of theory includes both fundamental knowledge creation and practical applications of modelling for new and existing technology. The applications of our activity are as various as ultracold atoms, semiconductor devices and biological function.

Starting from first principles on the microscopic level (as embodied in the Schrödinger equation) electronic, mechanical and structural properties of molecules and materials can now be calculated with a remarkable degree of accuracy. We work on developing and refining new computational tools and applying them to a broad spectrum of fundamental and applied problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and, particularly at present, in biology.

Solids and fluids often show unusual collective behaviour resulting from cooperative quantum or classical phenomena. For such phenomena a more model-based approach is often appropriate, and we are using such methods to attack problems in magnetism, superfluidity, nonlinear optics, mesoscopic systems, complex fluids and solids, and bio-polymers. 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, and models of biophysical processes, all of which bridge the gap between molecular and mesoscopic scales.

Key Findings

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Potential use in non-academic contexts

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Impacts

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Summary
Date Materialised

Sectors submitted by the Researcher

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Project URL:

Further Information:

Organisation Website:

http://www.cam.ac.uk