The behaviour of liquids at an interface is an important physical problem with wide-ranging fundamental and practical implications. For example, the behaviour of a liquid squeezed between two surfaces determines how good that liquid can act as a lubricant. Likewise having a surface which repels water, called hydrophobicity, is crucial for reducing drag on ship hulls and also underpins Teflon coating on non-stick cooking pans.

 

To understand and engineer this behaviour requires a detailed understanding of the nature of the interactions between particles within the bulk of the liquid and interactions they have with any interfaces confining them. Much of our research involves applying state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulation methods to explore the fascinating physics that occurs in complex fluids like colloids, such as self-assembly and their unusual phase behaviour. An appealing aspect of colloidal physics is that simple models often correspond quite closely to real systems, and this allows us to collaborate meaningfully with experimentalists.

 

Beyond colloids we are interested in computational and theoretical solutions to a wide range of problems in soft matter and statistical physics. This includes the dynamics and configurations of knotted long-chain macromolecules, and the application of geometry and topology to soft matter problems.