Condensed Matter Physics

Physics is one of the most sought-after and fundamental branches of science. It studies matter and its essential components, how it is made, properties of matter, its behavior in time and space, and its motion. Physics aims to understand the working of the universe. There are sub-branches in physics.

Condensed matter physics is a sub-branch of physics, which involves the study of microscopic and macroscopic properties of matter which are physical. The liquid and solid states of matter are mainly studied. They are created due to electromagnetic forces between atoms.

Condensed Matter Physics

Condensed matter physics is named so because it studies the “condensed” phases of matter, that is, the solid and the liquid state. When elements are in the gaseous state, they have no fixed volume or shape. They can expand mainly in size. However, the same cannot be said about the solid and liquid states. Atoms or molecules of an element have to be compressed to convert it into a liquid state from gaseous and then to solid, which is why the solid and the liquid states are considered as the “condensed matter” states.

Condensed matter physicists would aim to study the properties of condensed matter phases. It is achieved by performing experiments that quantify the material properties.

They further seek to create a mathematical model using physical laws of statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and other physical properties.

Condensed matter physics is associated with engineering and nanotechnology, materials science, chemistry, and to some extent, also biophysics and atomic physics.

A great variety of physics topics such as elasticity, metallurgy, magnetism, etc., were considered separate fields until the 1940s. Then they were grouped and called solid-state physics, which further led to condensed matter physics.

Interesting Properties Studied on Condensed Matter Physics

Superfluidity

Superfluidity means frictionless flow exhibited by the liquid form of helium at temperatures near absolute zero (−273.15 °C, or −459.67 °F). Several other peculiar properties are also observed in such conditions. This odd behavior is caused due to quantum mechanical effects.

Superconductivity

Superconductivity can be defined as a phenomenon in which when certain substances are cooled down to very low absolute temperatures; they offer zero resistance to the flow of electric current through them. This property has quite interesting and beneficial effects. In order for a material to behave as a superconductor, the condition of extremely low temperature is very important.

Computational Condensed Matter

Computational condensed matter is a science journal that publishes articles on the novel physical properties’ computational model.

The physical properties are:

• Processing and characterization of materials

• Synthesis

• Instruments that are used

It also covers other physical science subjects like statistical and classical studies. The topics that are covered are:

• Electronic Structure, Excited states, electronic transport

• Big data and machine learning applied

• Interfaces, hybrid materials, surfaces

• Nanotechnology and Nanoscience

• Lattice effect and dynamics

• Magnetism

These are the fields in which the journal is interested.

The physical science properties of condensed matter must-have applications of modern computational methods as their basis.

Those methods are listed below:

• The theory of density function

• A molecule or atomic scale simulations based on molecular dynamics technique or Monte Carlo

• The properties of excited state using GW or body perturbation methods

• Using FE methods, multiscale modeling uses macroscopic input.

The assessment of research articles will be done based on how original the content is and the scientific merit.

Principles of Condensed Matter Physics

Following are a few principles or Condensed matter physics on which experiments have been performed.

External Magnetic Fields

External magnetic fields are thermodynamic variables that exert control over phase transitions, state, and several material system properties.

In the method of NMR that is Nuclear magnetic resonance, the magnetic field is used to discover resonance modes of individual electrons, which will give data about neighbors’ molecular, atomic, and bond structure.

Nuclear Spectroscopy

The experiments such as the neighborhood atoms’ local structure can be conducted using nuclear spectroscopy. All these properties are susceptible to even the smallest of changes.

This way is very fitting to study phase change, diffusion, magnetism, and defects. Perturbed angular correlation is suitable to review extreme temperature phase changes. Like at temperatures more than 2000 °C as the method is not dependent on temperature.

Scattering

Quite a few condensed matter experiments involve scattering of experimental probes like optic photons, X-rays, neurons on constitutional particles of a material.

To study microscopic properties as of medium, like studying forbidden transactions with nonlinear optical spectroscopy in media.

Conclusion

In condensed matter physics, we study the principles and properties of liquid and solid states of matter. Emerging properties such as superconductivity and superfluidity, which interests scientists a lot, are based on condensed matter. The fields associated with condensed matter are electronic structure, nanotechnology, magnetism, lattice effect, dynamics, hybrid materials, etc.

The theories based on physical science properties of condensed matter are- the theory of density function, molecule or atomic state simulations, FE methods, multiscale methods of modeling, etc. The methods used to conduct experiments in condensed matter are- nuclear spectroscopy, scattering, external magnetic fields. This topic needs more research to be performed on.