Condensed matter physics is the study of systems with a large number of interacting degrees of freedom such as a collection of electrons, atoms or molecules. Key questions in Condensed Matter Theory include:  Can we understand emergent properties of matter such as the existence of metallic and insulating states, superconductivity, and magnetic long-range order from the relatively simple interaction laws at the microscopic level? Is there universal behavior at large length and time scales, which is insensitive to the details of the microscopic interaction?  What types of topological order are possible? What are the best ways to think about disorder? Can a theory of out-of-equilibrium statistical mechanics be constructed that matches the power of equilibrium statistical mechanics? 

There are five faculty members in the group (Feldman, Gromov, Kosterlitz, Marston, and Pelcovits).  We interact with experimental physicists, and other theorists, on a variety of levels.  There is a weekly condensed matter and biological physics seminar, and also a weekly condensed matter journal club.   We also have interdisciplinary collaborations with engineers, biologists, mathematicians, and climate scientists.