2022 research activities
Overview
The Department of Physics of Complex Systems pursues two main directions, Atomic, Molecular and Optical (AMO) physics and the physics of Soft and Biological Matter. Contemporary topics in AMO physics range from atto-second pulses and intense lasers, through precision spectroscopy of ultracold atoms, molecules or ions, to quantum information and quantum optics. Soft and biological physics are characterized by wide ranging complexity that can often be simplified by considering fundamental physical concepts and principles. The Department consists of slightly under 20 groups, of which about two thirds are experimentalists and one third are theoreticians.
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
The AMO groups in the Department of Physics of Complex Systems study a wide variety of topics in nonlinear and quantum optics, atomic and molecular physics. Of interest are the properties of atoms and ions at ultra-cold temperatures where full control of individual atoms and photons is possible and quantum phenomena are manifested. These unique properties can be applied for quantum sensing, simulations and computing and study of new physics. Both theoretical and experimental aspects of Quantum Computation comprise an important and very significant goal of the research.
A particularly rich field of study is that of the interaction of ultrashort optical pulses with atoms, molecules, electrons and solids, which enables the measurement of ultrafast dynamics, allows the acceleration of electrons and protons, and generates new radiation sources for bio-medical applications. In addition, investigations of the geometrical quantum nature of light are conducted, along with its use for simulating general relativity in the lab.
Soft Matter and Biological Physics
The theoretical issues in soft matter cover non-equilibrium processes and aspects of emergent properties, of frustration and of material structure, all of which can be approached using the tools of statistical mechanics coupled with a deep mathematical description of organization in matter. Structures in liquid and organic crystals, as well as in viscoelastic material yield insight on the underlying physical processes and mechanisms. In biological systems, mechanisms that determine the size of cells can be obtained using physics modeling and theoretical concepts. In considering the statistical physics of turbulence, special emphasis is made on broken and emerging symmetries, with important implications for conformal invariance in inverse turbulent cascades and recently for the kinetic and hydrodynamic theory of emerging viscous electronics.
The experimental labs treat such diverse systems as ants, single molecules, neuronal cultures, one dimensional organisms, and even human groups. A unifying theme lies in relating the properties of the constituent parts to those of the emerging whole. Biological computation is treated in social contexts such as ant colonies and in devices comprised of living neurons. Emergent properties such as synchronization of activity, decision making and resource sharing are among the novel phenomena that have been discovered in these systems. Turbulence in viscoelastic media is studied in microfluidic environments.
ScientistsShow details
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Dr. Hillel Aharoni
Geometry and deformation of soft materialsTopological defects in liquid crystalsWrinkling patterns
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Dr. Rotem Arnon-Friedman
Quantum cryptographyDevice-independent quantum cryptographyQuantum key distributionCertification protocolsQuantum-proof randomness extractorsEntanglement theoryNon-localityEntanglement certificationEntanglement as a resource for quantum cryptography
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Prof. Nir Davidson
Ultracold atomsCollaboration with: Ofer Firstenberg Ephi Sachmoon and Yaov SagiQuantum simulators with neutral atoms in tweezer arraysQuantum degenerated atomic gasesCollaboration with: Roee OzeriQuantum nonlinear dynamics and chaosLaser physicsCollaboration with: Asher Friesem, Hui Cao, Oren RazSlow and stored lightCollaboration with: Ofer FirstenbergAtomic optics and interferometryCollaboration with: Ofer Firstenberg
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Prof. Eytan Domany
Computational Physics: equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics of spin glassesCollaboration with: A. P. Young (UCSC)Development of tools and algorithms for large scale data analysis. Bioinformatics.Analysis of high-throughput biological data (in particular, gene expression data)Collaboration with: Several research groups at Weizmann, in the USA and in Europe; see below.Controlled experiments on cell lines and mice (with D. Givol, V. Rotter, Y. Groner, L. Sachs; D. Gazit (Hadassa))Development of antigen chips, applications for autoimmune diseases (with I. Cohen)Studies human cancer samples; leukemia (with E. Canaani; G. Rechavi S. Izraeli (Sheba))Colorectal cancer; (with D. Notterman (UMDNJ), F. Barany (Cornell), P. Paty (MSK), A. Levine (Princeton))Prostate cancer; (with Z. Eshhar, A. Orr (TA Sourasky));Glioblastoma; (with M. Hegi, R. Stupp (CHUV))Breast and cervical cancer (with J-P Thiery, F. Radvanyi, X. Sastre, C. Rosty (Inst Curie))
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Prof. Efi Efrati
Geometrically frustrated assembliesQuantifying geometric frustration in physical assembliesGeometric frustration in liquid crystalsTwisted molecular crystalsPeriodic and aperiodic frustrated tesselations of the planeGeometry of elastic and anelastic deformationsFractional statistics in mixed Hamiltonian systems with non-holonomic constraints
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Prof. Gregory Falkovich
Wave turbulenceCollaboration with: Natalia Vladimirova, MIchal Shavit, Vladimir LebedevTheory of fluid turbulence. Fundamental aspects and applications.Collaboration with: Anna Frishman, Vladimir Lebedev, Natalia Vladmirova, Bjorn Hof.Information theory and non-equilibrium statisticsCollaboration with: Michal Shavit, Natalia VladimirovaViscous ElectronicsCollaboration with: Leonid Levitov, Andrey Shytov, Andre Geim.
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Dr. Ofer Feinerman
Collective behavior of ants.Information sharing in cooperative groups.Collective decision making.
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Prof. Ofer Firstenberg
Photon-photon interactions and nonlinear quantum optics using Rydberg atomsAtom interferometersAtomic sensorsQuantum memories in hot and cold atoms
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Prof. Asher Friesem
Diffractive Optical Elements and Planar Optics.Photonic Devices.Novel Laser Configurations.
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Prof. Ulf Leonhardt
Forces of the quantum vacuumAnalogues of the event horizonGeometry and lightInvisibility cloaking and perfect imaging
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Prof. Victor Malka
Laser Plasma AcceleratorsCollaboration with: HZDR in Germany, Ecole Polytechnique in France, and UM from USCompact plasma based accelerators of electrons and protonsCompact plasma based X ray beamsGas dynamics for targetryMedical applications (radiotherapy, X ray phase contrast imaging)
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Dr. Ziv Meir
Quantum control of moleculesQuantum logicMolecular qubitsPrecision spectroscopy of moleculesBeyond-standard-model testsMolecular clocksQuantum information with molecules
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Prof. David Mukamel
Systems with long-range interactionsCollaboration with: S. Ruffo A. CampaCollective phenomena in systems far from thermal equilibrium.Collaboration with: S. Majumdar G. Schehr M. Barma A. KunduCoarsening processes and slow dynamics.Systems with long range interactions
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Prof. Roee Ozeri
Quantum metrology and precision measurementsUltra-cold ions and atomsQuantum ComputingUltra-cold collisions and interactions
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Dr. Osip Schwartz
Laser-enhanced electron microscopySpatial and temporal shaping of electron wavefunctionTransmission electron microscopy with laser-based electron opticsProbing physical vacuum with strong laser fieldsTabletop photon-photon scattering experimentsDevelopment of megawatt-class cavities with tightly focused mode
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Prof. Uzy Smilansky
Mathematical methods for Archaeological research.Semi-classical quantization.Chaotic scattering.Quantum chaos.
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Prof. Joel Stavans
Statistical MechanicsSingle-Molecule Biological Physics.RNA interferenceHomologous recombinationGenetic Networks and Systems BiologyRegulation of gene expression by small RNAsDevelopmental decision makingNoise and adaptation
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Prof. Victor Steinberg
Physical hydrodynamics, hydrodynamics of complex fluids, dynamics of single flexible micro-objects (molecules, membranes, etc) in complex fluid flowsCollaboration with: Prof. G. Falkovich, Prof. V. Lebedev, Prof. Y. Dubief, Prof. H. StarkHydrodynamics of polymer solutions, Elastic turbulence and Turbulent mixing by polymers.Hydrodynamics and rheology of complex fluids (vesicle, capsule, worm-like micelle, etc suspensions)Dynamics and conformation of single polymer molecule, vesicle, micro-capsule, etc in complex fluid flows.Microfluidics: mixing, cell separation, random flows.Development of non-invasive local sensors for measurements of stress field in fluid flow
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