News Items

Our Most Recent Publication (See all of them)

Symmetry Breaking in Smectics and Surface Models of Their Singularities,
PNAS 106 (2009) 15577 , by Bryan Gin-ge Chen, Gareth P. Alexander, and Randall D. Kamien
The homotopy theory of topological defects in ordered media fails to completely characterize systems with broken translational symmetry. We argue that the problem can be understood in terms of the lack of rotational Goldstone modes in such systems and provide an alternate approach that correctly accounts for the interaction between translations and rotations. Dislocations are associated, as usual, with branch points in a phase field, while disclinations arise as critical points and singularities in the phase field. We introduce a three-dimensional model for two-dimensional smectics that clarifies the topology of disclinations and geometrically captures known results without the need for compatibility conditions. Our work suggests natural generalizations of the two-dimensional smectic theory to higher dimensions and to crystals.




General News

  • Vincenzo Vitelli accepts faculty position at Leiden University. (April 2009)

  • Bryan Chen awarded Department of Physics and Astronomy's 2008 Werner B. Teutsch Prize, Awarded annually to the graduate student who, by his or her performance in the first year courses, shows the most promise for outstanding achievement in research. (September 2008)

  • Carl Modes accepts a post-doctoral position at the Cavendish Laboratory for Fall 2008. (July 2008)

  • Graduate Student Carl Modes chosen as GSNP Student Award Finalist. (December 2007)

  • Randy Kamien supervised a math club at the Meadowbrook School in Abington, PA (November 2007).


  • Vincenzo Vitelli to give Invited Talk at 2008 APS March Meeting. (October 2007)

  • Vincenzo Vitelli awarded the 2007 Herbert B. Callen Prize "For his insightful work on the interplay between geometry and superfluid order." (August 2007)

  • Randy Kamien gives lecture on tiling at the "Physics is for Kids Barbecue" in Aspen, CO (August 2007) [click here for the whole show].

  • Greg Grason accepts faculty position at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. (June 2007)

  • Sabetta Matsumoto elected to Phi Beta Kappa. (April 2007)

  • Sabetta Matsumoto awarded the William E. Stephens Memorial Prize, Awarded annually to the graduating physics major who has demonstrated, during the course of his or her undergraduate course work, the most promise for a successful career as a scientist based on overall performance in all aspects of the undergraduate program as judged by members of the physics faculty. (March 2007)

  • Chris Santangelo accepts faculty position at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. (August 2006)

  • Chris Santangelo receives the 2006 Glenn H. Brown Prize from the International Liquid Crystal Society for "illuminating theories on the importance of fluctuations on the elasticity of liquid crystalline lamellar phases and fluid membranes." (April 2006)

  • Post-doctoral Fellow Vincenzo Vitelli arrives from Harvard, welcome Vincenzo! (January 2006)

Talks and Presentations

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Last Modified 16 November 2009