Condensed substance the area of physics known as physics is concerned with the characteristics and conduct of matter in its solid and liquid phases. It includes a wide range of subfields including solid-state physics, materials science, condensed matter theory and nanoscience. It is one of the broadest and most active areas of physics.
The study of solid properties, such as their electrical, magnetic and thermal properties, is one of the principal topics of research in condensed matter physics.
This involves research on the behaviour of electrons in insulators, superconductors and semiconductors. The behaviour of phonons, the quanta of vibrational energy found in solids and how they affect a material’s thermal and mechanical properties are two more topics covered by condensed matter physicists.
The investigation of liquids including aspects such as structure, characteristics and phase transitions, is another crucial area of condensed matter physics. Studying liquid crystals which have properties halfway between those of liquids and solids as well as the behaviour of liquids under circumstances like high pressure and high temperature fall under this category.
The study of materials’ nanoscale characteristics, such as those of particular atoms, molecules and atom clusters is also a part of condensed matter physics. Quantum dots which are incredibly tiny semiconductor particles and the behaviour of electrons in these materials are included in this.
Another crucial field of condensed matter physics is the study of materials’ low-temperature properties. This includes investigating the characteristics of matter at temperatures close to absolute zero including how electrons behave in superconductors and the characteristics of superfluid helium.
The invention of new materials, electronics and gadgets like transistors, solar cells and nanocomposites are just a few of the numerous practical uses for condensed matter physics.
Condensed matter physics research is also being conducted in the following areas:
- Surface science: is the study of surfaces, interfaces and thin films to determine their characteristics and behaviours.
- Soft substance physics: the study of the characteristics and behaviour of substances, such as polymers, colloids and liquid crystals, that display both solid- and liquid-like characteristics.
- Statistical physics: the study of the characteristics and operation of systems such as fluids and magnets, composed of a large number of interacting particles.
- Mesoscopic physics: is the study of systems with properties and behaviours that fall between the sizes of individual atoms and macroscopic objects.
- Complex systems: the study of the characteristics and actions of complex, non-linear systems including biological, disordered and glass systems.
Condensed matter physics which deals with the characteristics and behaviour of matter in its solid and liquid phases is an active and quickly developing field that includes a wide range of related subfields. It plays a significant part in influencing our understanding of the characteristics of matter and its behaviour and has several real-world applications in many different domains.
