RESEARCH
The Yodh Soft Matter Group is an experimental group specializing in the study of (surprise surprise) soft condensed matter physics. Soft condensed matter physics is the study of "squishy stuff" - gels, foams, emulsions, polymers, colloidal suspensions, liquid crystals, non-Newtownian fluids, biological materials, etc; basically, any material whose phases and assembly are governed by entropy and relatively weak energetics. The physics of such materials is important to understanding and developing cutting edge technology in materials science, bioengineering, and elsewhere, including (but not limited to) photolithography, photonics, metamaterials, ceramics, and biosensors. Understanding the basic (but nontrivially complicated) behavior of such materials on the microscale helps us understand and visualize physics of materials.
Though it would be convenient to say that we specialize in the study of a single type material or physics, the truth is, we have a wide and continually expanding range of interests. A few topics we investigate are listed below, but if you'd like to learn more about specific research projects, please check out the very thorough description of our past work here.
Glassy Physics of Disordered Colloidal Packings
Aqueous Lyotropic Liquid Crystals
Colloidal Self-Assembly
Evaporative Assembly and Colloidal Convection
Melting & Pre-Melting in Colloidal Crystals
Rheology of Biological Gels
Active Complex Fluid Systems