|
Introduction
|
Colloids are present in a large variety of biological, chemical and physical systems. In the last few years,
they have been used as model systems because allow us either to understand fundamental processes in atomic systems or to elucidate problems in soft
condensed matter physics. The success of colloids to be used as well-controlled model systems resides in the fact that the
relevant interactions between colloids are easily and independently tuneable and the colloid position is accessible by means
of optical techniques, thus allowing a direct comparison with simulations and theoretical calculations. In my group, we study
colloids as model systems to, on one hand, understand the effective interactions that emerge in soft matter physics
when unobservable components of the system are integrated out or contracted of the description and, on the other hand,
to quantify the effects of soft and periodic external fields on the structural and dynamics properties of many-body systems,
i.e., polymers, DNA molecules, etc.
In particular, I am interested on thermodynamics, structural properties, transport phenomena, dynamical arrest and self-assembly of many-body systems
(colloids, polyelectrolytes, polymers, DNA molecules, among others). Also on advanced numerical algorithms, parallel computer simulation methods and
experimental techniques (scattering methods, rheology, confocal videomicroscopy, optical trapping, etc.) for the research of soft condensed matter physics.
|
|
My research activities are divided in the following areas:
1.- Effective interactions between colloids at the bulk or near
to either rigid or fluctuating walls
2.- Directed self-assembly of colloids by optical
substrates
3.- Transport and thermodynamic properties of
charged bio-molecules (DNA)
4.- Dynamic arrest and aggregation in complex fluids
5.- Structure and phase-separation of
simple and complex fluids
|
