Cambridge Condensed Matter Theory Programme Grant

作为理论家，我们构建通常受到实验发现启发的物理和化学过程模型，我们推广这些模型及其解决方案，为新的实验做出预测，并将从这些模型的解决方案中出现的概念和理论工具转移到其他研究领域，进行协调的跨学科努力。简而言之，理论的作用是理解在实验室或日常生活中观察到的已知现象，并预测新的物理过程和现象。我们的理论研究既是关于计算，定量地了解和预测物质的行为，也是关于建立模型，以阐明物理、化学、材料科学和生物学中的紧急行为的图景。理论的作用既包括基础知识的创造，也包括对新技术和现有技术建模的实际应用。我们的活动应用广泛，如超冷原子、半导体器件和DNA组装。从微观层面的第一原理(如薛定谔方程所体现的)出发，现在可以非常准确地计算分子和材料的电子、机械和结构性质。我们致力于开发和提炼新的计算工具，并将它们应用于物理、化学、材料科学和生物学中的广泛基础和应用问题。固体和流体经常由于合作量子或经典现象而显示出不寻常的集体行为。对于这种现象，更多的基于模型的方法通常是合适的，我们正在使用这种方法来解决磁性、超流性、非线性光学、介观系统、复杂的流体和固体以及生物聚合物中的问题。在更大规模的系统中，集体行为显得更加突出。作为例子，我们研究了软凝聚态系统中的自组织结构，相互作用系统的非线性动力学，以及生物物理过程的模型，所有这些都是分子和介观尺度之间的桥梁。

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 DNA assembly.Starting from first principles on the microscopic level (as embodied in the Schrdinger 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 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, andbio-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.