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Theory of Condensed Matter

Theoretical Condensed Matter physics is about building models of physical processes, often driven by experimental data, generalising the solutions of those models to make experimental predictions, and transferring the concepts gained into other areas of research. Theory plays an important role in understanding known phenomena and in predicting new ones.

With over seventy members, the TCM Group is one of the largest research Groups in the Cavendish Laboratory, and the largest university Condensed Matter Theory group in the country. Able to trace its history back for over sixty years, it has been home to many leading theoreticians.

Starting at the first principles microscopic level - with the Schrödinger equation - many properties of materials can now be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. We work on refining and developing new calculational tools and applying them to problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.

Solids often show unusual collective behaviour resulting from cooperative quantum or classical phenomena. For this type of physics a more model-based approach is appropriate, and we are using such methods to attack problems in magnetism, superconductivity, nonlinear optics, mesoscopic systems, polymers, and colloids.

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, the observer in quantum mechanics, and models of biophysical processes, from the molecular scale up to neural systems.

Prof Gabor Csanyi

TCM was the cradle in which I cut my teeth in science, under the guidance of Mike Payne, Peter Littlewood, Richard Needs, and also Alessandro De Vita, a frequent visitor. The collaborative atmosphere combined with a level of seriousness, the desire of aiming high, and taking the long term view, shaped my culture of research, and it is what I continue to try to emulate and foster elsewhere.

Prof Gábor Csányi, newly elected Fellow of the Royal Society. News archive

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Theoretical Condensed Matter physics is about building models of physical processes, often driven by experimental data, generalising the solutions of those models to make experimental predictions, and transferring the concepts gained into other areas of research. Theory plays an important role in understanding known phenomena and in predicting new ones.

With over seventy members, the TCM Group is one of the largest research Groups in the Cavendish Laboratory, and the largest university Condensed Matter Theory group in the country. Able to trace its history back for over sixty years, it has been home to many leading theoreticians.

Starting at the first principles microscopic level - with the Schrödinger equation - many properties of materials can now be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. We work on refining and developing new calculational tools and applying them to problems in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.

Solids often show unusual collective behaviour resulting from cooperative quantum or classical phenomena. For this type of physics a more model-based approach is appropriate, and we are using such methods to attack problems in magnetism, superconductivity, nonlinear optics, mesoscopic systems, polymers, and colloids.

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, the observer in quantum mechanics, and models of biophysical processes, from the molecular scale up to neural systems.

News

Prof Gabor Csanyi

TCM was the cradle in which I cut my teeth in science, under the guidance of Mike Payne, Peter Littlewood, Richard Needs, and also Alessandro De Vita, a frequent visitor. The collaborative atmosphere combined with a level of seriousness, the desire of aiming high, and taking the long term view, shaped my culture of research, and it is what I continue to try to emulate and foster elsewhere.

Prof Gábor Csányi, newly elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

News archive

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Upcoming Talks

Combined TCM Seminars and TCM blackboard seminar listing

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Combined list of TCM seminar series, and TCM blackboard seminar series, which are held on alternate weeks on Thursdays during term, also including irregular and extra seminars.

Tell a friend about this list:

If you have a question about this list, please contact: Ben Simons; Gareth Conduit; Edgar Engel; Bartomeu Monserrat. If you have a question about a specific talk, click on that talk to find its organiser.

4 upcoming talks and 855 talks in the archive: show first 500.

Theory of Condensed Matter

Quantum Hydrodynamics

UserDylan Reynolds, ICTS Bangalore.

HouseSeminar Room 3, RDC.

ClockTuesday 19 August 2025, 14:00-15:30

Theory of Condensed Matter

Title to be confirmed

UserProf. Felix Flicker (Bristol).

HouseSeminar Room 3, RDC.

ClockThursday 23 October 2025, 14:00-15:30

Theory of Condensed Matter

Electronic response to ion projectiles traversing matter from first principles

UserProf. Emilio Artacho (Cambridge & Nanogune).

HouseSeminar Room 3, RDC.

ClockThursday 30 October 2025, 14:00-15:30

Please see above for contact details for this list.

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Recent Talks

Combined TCM Seminars and TCM blackboard seminar listing

Add to your list(s) Send you e-mail reminders Further detail
Subscribe using ical/vcal (Help)

Combined list of TCM seminar series, and TCM blackboard seminar series, which are held on alternate weeks on Thursdays during term, also including irregular and extra seminars.

Tell a friend about this list:

If you have a question about this list, please contact: Ben Simons; Gareth Conduit; Edgar Engel; Bartomeu Monserrat. If you have a question about a specific talk, click on that talk to find its organiser.

4 upcoming talks and 855 talks in the archive: show first 500.

Theory of Condensed Matter

Four Generations of High-Dimensional Neural Network Potentials

UserProf. Jörg Behler (Ruhr-Universität Bochum).

HouseSeminar Room 3, RDC.

ClockThursday 19 June 2025, 14:00-15:30

Please see above for contact details for this list.

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