Soft Active Matter
Soft matter physics, a subfield of condensed matter physics, encompasses the study of materials such as liquids, colloids, polymers, foams, gels, and biological systems, which exhibit complex behaviors governed by soft interactions and thermal fluctuations. In 1991, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, a distinguished theoretical physicist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking contributions to this field. His seminal lecture on Soft Matter brought widespread attention to materials like droplets, adhesives, plastics, soap films, biological membranes, and soft tissues, which had previously been overlooked by physicists as too complex or disordered for rigorous study. De Gennes demonstrated that these systems could be described using fundamental physical principles, inspiring generations of scientists with his innovative approach and interdisciplinary vision. Over the past two decades, the study of active matter—self-driven systems that convert energy into directed motion, often referred to as living matter—has emerged as a vibrant frontier within soft matter physics, significantly advancing our understanding of non-equilibrium systems and their implications for condensed matter physics.
Founded in 2010, the Soft Matter Physics Laboratory (SMPL) at Northwest University’s School of Physics, led by Professor Guangyin Jing, Professor Yanan Liu, and Associate Professor Hao Luo, is at the forefront of research in active matter and non-equilibrium physics. The laboratory investigates novel phenomena and underlying physical mechanisms in soft matter and biophysics, with applications in swarm intelligence and medical health. Utilizing model systems such as living active matter, microorganisms, and cells, the SMPL employs cutting-edge experimental platforms, including high-resolution microswimmer tracking, digital microfluidic chips, and advanced microscopic optical imaging, combined with pattern recognition techniques. By integrating methodologies from condensed matter physics, statistical physics, fluid dynamics, molecular biology, numerical computation, and mathematical modeling, the lab explores autonomous motion at microscales, the non-equilibrium dynamics of energy input and conversion, and the principles governing information processing, feedback, and control in simple life forms. The SMPL aims to elucidate the physical laws underlying the transition from individual to collective behaviors and from simple to complex systems in active matter, as well as the evolutionary progression of life forms. These efforts provide a physical foundation for addressing critical challenges in medical health and developing innovative technological solutions.
