2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Department of Physics Graduate major in Physics
Physics of Soft Matter
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Physics
- Instructor(s)
- Daiki Nishiguchi
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- PHY.C455
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 31, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Soft matter refers to materials such as liquid crystals, polymers, colloidal dispersions,
surfactants, and gels. These materials exhibit extremely slow responses compared to solids due to their mesoscale structures, typically on the order of micrometers. This slow response is the origin of their softness. In this course, we will first explain the quantitative descriptions necessary for dealing with soft matter from the perspective of physics, utilizing concepts such as continuum mechanics and rheology. Based on this foundation, we will explore the theories and experimental findings of colloidal suspensions and liquid crystals as representative examples of soft matter. These basic understanding of soft matter will then used to understand recent theoretical and experimental developments in active matter systems, including microbial populations and self-propelled colloidal particles, where individual components exhibit autonomous motion.
Through learning these specific systems' theories and experiments, students will gain a comprehensive perspective on a wide range of soft matter, equipping them with foundational knowledge that connects to cutting-edge research areas such as complex fluid science, nonequilibrium physics, biological fluid dynamics, and biophysics.
Course description and aims
By taking this course, students will acquire the following knowledge and skills:
1) Ability to explain the common characteristics and properties of soft matter.
2) Ability to explain continuum mechanics and rheology using mathematical formulations.
3) Ability to describe the characteristic properties of colloidal dispersions and liquid crystals using mathematical expressions.
4) Ability to explain the basic concepts of active matter.
Keywords
soft matter, continuum mechanics, fluid mechanics, viscoelasticity, rheology, solution, colloidal dispersion, liquid crystals, active matter
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The course will primarily be taught using blackboard explanations. However, experimental movies, figures, and photos will be presented using slides.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to Soft Matter | Explain what soft matter is. |
| Class 2 | Continuum mechanics | Derive the equation of motion for a continuum. |
| Class 3 | viscoelasticity and rheology | Explain viscosity and elasticity by using stress and strain. |
| Class 4 | Solution and colloidal dispersions | Explain the conditions for phase separation. Explain the interactions between colloidal particles. |
| Class 5 | Liquid crystals 1 | Explain the liquid crystal phases based on the symmetry |
| Class 6 | Liquid crystals 2 | Explain elastic energy and topological defects of liquid crystals |
| Class 7 | Active matter | Explain the characteristics of orientational order in active matter systems |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to reference books and other course material.
Textbook(s)
We will introduce appropriate books for each topic during the lectures.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
M. Doi, "Soft Matter Physics", Oxford University Press (2013)
W. van Saarloos, V. Vitelli, Z. Zeravcic, "Soft Matter: Concepts, Phenomena, and Applicatioins", Princeton University Press (2024)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluation will be based on report assignments given during the lectures.
Related courses
- PHY.S440 ： Statistical Mechanics III
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required.