From Particles to Complex Matter

The field of complex and non-equilibrium systems is currently driven by a large body of new experiments and theoretical ideas in various branches of physics, from condensed matter physics up to ultra-cold atomic physics and biology. Beyond their apparent diversity, these systems share a common characteristic: the emergence of complex collective behaviors from the interaction of elementary components. Glassy dynamics, out-of-equilibrium systems, the emergence of self-organized or self-assembled structures, criticality, percolating systems, domain wall propagation and pinning of elastic walls, nonlinear systems, turbulence and fracture propagation are some subjects of complex matter that can be addressed only with the tools developed for the study of systems of interacting entities. Understanding these phenomena also requires the development of new theoretical methods in statistical physics and the design of new types of experiments.

 

Program in construction…