MPhys Physics

This course unit delves into the fundamentals of the wealth of soft materials and biomaterials, exploring the concepts and properties of liquid crystals, polymers, colloids, biopolymers, surfactants and lipid membranes.  It begins by reviewing key concepts in soft matter physics, including phase transitions and their descriptions, mesoscopic forces, surface phenomena, rheology and stochastic dynamics. The course will cover essential topics in soft matter systems, such as thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals, polymers, glass transition and biopolymers, as well as colloids and bio-colloids. The concept of self-assembly will be stressed and examples of the latter presented and discussed. In particular, the connections between liquid crystals, polymers, biological systems and colloids will be made clear through self-assembled structures and similar properties of some of the fundamental classes of soft matter.

As the course progresses, it will cover non-equilibrium systems and excitable matter, through the discussion of gels, the phenomenon of jamming, and peptides and protein folding. Excitable cells and neural networks will conclude the course unit.  

Pre-requisites: Physics Year 1 courses

To provide a broad overview of the different states of soft and biological matter and to introduce the concepts and physics behind liquid crystals, polymers, colloids, biopolymers, surfactants, and lipid membranes. Further, to understand the connections between different types of soft materials and biomaterials. To appreciate phenomena in non-equilibrium systems and excitable neuronal systems.  

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:  

ILO 1

Explain the general concepts of soft and biological matter physics.

ILO 2

Give examples and explanations of phase transitions in soft and biological matter.

ILO 3

Explain phenomena associated with mesoscopic forces, stochastic dynamics, mechanics, rheology and the surfaces of soft and biological matter.

ILO 4

Describe the connections between different types of soft matter and biomaterials.

ILO 5

Explain key experimental techniques and properties in relation to soft condensed matter.

ILO 6

Describe phenomena in jamming, gels, glasses and excitable matter.

Two one hour, live in-person lectures per week where the core material with examples will be delivered. The recordings of these lectures, as well as the corresponding presentation materials, will be available. The lectures are accompanied by occasional tutorial-style question sheets for indirect feedback. Model answers will be released about two weeks later. A Piazza discussion forum is also provided where students can ask questions with answers provided by other students and the unit lead. 

Problem sheets: 0% weighting. Written exam: 100% weighting.

Waigh, T.A. The Physics of Living Processes (Wiley), 2014

Israelachvili, J.N. Intermolecular and Surface Forces (AP), 2011

Rubinstein, M., Colby, R. H., Polymer Physics (OUP), 2003

Berg, J.C., An Introduction to Interfaces and Colloids (World Scientific), 2010

Collings, P.J., Goodby, J.W., Introduction to Liquid Crystals (CRC Press), 2020

and others.