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Draft 1 - Condensed Matter & Materials Physics (CMMP)

The Condensed Matter & Materials Physics Group (CMMP)'s research combines experimental, theoretical and computational approaches. Systems studied include nanodevices, battery materials, multiferroics, chemical reactions, defects, surfaces, correlated electronic states, spin liquids, spin ice, ultrathin epitaxial films, heterostructures, biological systems and soft matter. Techniques applied include neutron and X-ray scattering, atomic-scale fabrication, scanning tunnelling microscopy, thermodynamic measurements, and computational modelling.

The CMMP consists of 19 research groups who cover a wide range condensed matter physics maintaining strong connections with the UK central facilities at Harwell, with the Thomas Young Centre for computational materials physics and with the London Centre for Nanotechnology.

Research Highlights:

  • Research Highlight by Edina Rosta from Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
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    Balint Dudas, Christina Athanasiou, Juan Carlos Mobarec, and Edina RostaThis collaborative work between AstraZeneca scientists and the Rosta group introduces a free energy-based computational method for the accurate identification of molecular glues, specifically demonstrated by its application to cereblon modulators targeting IKZF2.B Dudas, C Athanasiou, JC Mobarec, and Edina Rosta. Quantifying Cooperativity through Binding Free Energies in Molecular Glue Degraders. J Chem Theory Comput 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.5c00064

  • Research Highlight by Chris Howard from Nature Nanotechnology
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    Camilla Di Mino, Thomas F Headen, Nadir S Basma, David J Buckley, Patrick L Cullen, Martin C Wilding, Milo SP Shaffer, Neal T Skipper, Adam J Clancy, and Christopher A HowardAdvanced neutron scattering methods measure the detailed arrangement of solvent molecules around a charged surface for the first time uncovering surprisingly complex and long-range order.C Di Mino, TF Headen, NS Basma, et al. Intermediate-range solvent templating and counterion behaviour at charged carbon nanotube surfaces. Nat Nanotechnol 20, 639–645 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-01865-9

  • Research Highlight by Chris Howard from Nature
    Click to view image at full size and access the gallery slider.

    A Ashoka, AJ Clancy, NA Panjwani, A Cronin, L Picco, ESY Aw, NJM Popiel, AG Eaton, TG Parton, RRC Shutt, S Feldmann, R Carey, TJ Macdonald, C Liu, ME Severijnen, S Kleuskens, LA Muscarella, FR Fischer, HBde Aguiar, RH Friend, J Behrends, PCM Christianen, CA Howard, and R PandyaPhosphorene nanoribbons demonstrate extraordinary magnetic properties, ranging from large internal fields in films to macroscopic alignment in solution, which can be coupled to photoexcitations that localize to the magnetic edge of these ribbons.A Ashoka, AJ Clancy, NA Panjwani, et al. Magnetically and optically active edges in phosphorene nanoribbons. Nature 639, 348–353 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08563-x

  • Research Highlight by Jochen Blumberger from Nature Communications
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    Kit Joll, Philipp Schienbein, Kevin M Rosso, and Jochen BlumbergerA machine learning method is introduced that enables nanosecond simulation of condensed phase systems interacting with external electric fields at ab-initio accuracy.PK Joll, P Schienbein, KM Rosso, and J Blumberger. Machine learning the electric field response of condensed phase systems using perturbed neural network potentials. Nat Commun 15, 8192 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52491-3

  • Image from recent publication in Physical Review Letters relating to Frank Kruger
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    Huanzhi Hu and Frank KrugerThe topological phase transition between the gapless and gapped Kitaev quantum spin liquids becomes non-trivial in the presence of additional magnetic interactions, resulting in a new universality class with non-Fermi liquid behaviour of the emergent Majorana fermions.Huanzhi Hu and Frank Kruger. Nature of Topological Phase Transition of Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquids. Phys Rev Lett 133, 146603 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.146603

  • Research Highlight by Jochen Blumberger from Science Advances
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    Jan Elsner, Yucheng Xu, Elliot D Goldberg, Filip Ivanovic, Aaron Dines, Samuele Giannini, Henning Sirringhaus, and Jochen BlumbergerA quantum dynamical simulation approach is developed revealing in atomistic detail how the charge carrier wavefunction moves along a temperature gradient in an organic molecular crystal.Jan Elsner et al. Thermoelectric transport in molecular crystals driven by gradients of thermal electronic disorder. Sci Adv 10, eadr1758 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1758

  • Image from recent publication in Physical Review X relating to Jochen Blumberger
    Click to view image at full size and access the gallery slider.

    ...Acceptor Material          Ljiljana Stojanović, Jack Coker, Samuele Giannini, Giacomo Londi, Anders S. Gertsen, Jens Wenzel Andreasen, Jun Yan, Gabriele D’Avino, David Beljonne, Jenny Nelson, and Jochen BlumbergerIn organic semiconductors, charge carriers may form delocalized or localized quasiparticles depending on molecular properties and environmental effects. Here, it is shown how structural and electrostatic disorder induce localization.Stojanović, L et al. Disorder-Induced Transition from Transient Quantum Delocalization to Charge Carrier Hopping Conduction in a Nonfullerene Acceptor Material. Phys Rev X 14, 021021 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.14.021021

  • Image from recent publication in Science Advances relating to Marzena Szymanska
    View more
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    Hassan Alnatah, Paolo Comaron, Shouvik Mukherjee, Jonathan Beaumariage,  Loren N Pfeiffer, Ken West, Kirk Baldwin, Marzena Szymańska, and David W SnokePhase fluctuations determine the low-energy properties of quantum condensates. However, at the condensation threshold, both density and phase fluctuations are relevant. The manifestation of a critical quantum state competition unlocks possibilities for the study of condensate formation while linking to practical realizations in photonic lasers.Hassan Alnatah et al. Critical fluctuations in a confined driven-dissipative quantum condensate. Sci Adv 10, eadi6762 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi6762

  • Research Highlight by Steven Schofield from Nature Communications
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    Procopios Constantinou, Taylor J. Z. Stock, Li-Ting Tseng, Dimitrios Kazazis, Matthias Muntwiler, Carlos A. F. Vaz, Yasin Ekinci, Gabriel Aeppli, Neil J. Curson, and Steven R. SchofieldUnleashing the power of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light, scientists from UCL and the Paul Scherrer Institute, EPFL, and ETHZ in Switzerland have devised an innovative technique for patterning hydrogen-terminated silicon, charting a course towards the large-scale fabrication of quantum devices in silicon.Procopios Constantinou et al. EUV-induced hydrogen desorption as a step towards large-scale silicon quantum device patterning. Nat Commun 15, 694 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44790-6

Research Highlight by Edina Rosta from Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation

Balint Dudas, Christina Athanasiou, Juan Carlos Mobarec, and Edina RostaThis collaborative work between AstraZeneca scientists and the Rosta group introduces a free energy-based computational method for the accurate identification of molecular glues, specifically demonstrated by its application to cereblon modulators targeting IKZF2.B Dudas, C Athanasiou, JC Mobarec, and Edina Rosta. Quantifying Cooperativity through Binding Free Energies in Molecular Glue Degraders. J Chem Theory Comput 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.5c00064

Research Highlight by Chris Howard from Nature Nanotechnology

Camilla Di Mino, Thomas F Headen, Nadir S Basma, David J Buckley, Patrick L Cullen, Martin C Wilding, Milo SP Shaffer, Neal T Skipper, Adam J Clancy, and Christopher A HowardAdvanced neutron scattering methods measure the detailed arrangement of solvent molecules around a charged surface for the first time uncovering surprisingly complex and long-range order.C Di Mino, TF Headen, NS Basma, et al. Intermediate-range solvent templating and counterion behaviour at charged carbon nanotube surfaces. Nat Nanotechnol 20, 639–645 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-01865-9

Research Highlight by Chris Howard from Nature

A Ashoka, AJ Clancy, NA Panjwani, A Cronin, L Picco, ESY Aw, NJM Popiel, AG Eaton, TG Parton, RRC Shutt, S Feldmann, R Carey, TJ Macdonald, C Liu, ME Severijnen, S Kleuskens, LA Muscarella, FR Fischer, HBde Aguiar, RH Friend, J Behrends, PCM Christianen, CA Howard, and R PandyaPhosphorene nanoribbons demonstrate extraordinary magnetic properties, ranging from large internal fields in films to macroscopic alignment in solution, which can be coupled to photoexcitations that localize to the magnetic edge of these ribbons.A Ashoka, AJ Clancy, NA Panjwani, et al. Magnetically and optically active edges in phosphorene nanoribbons. Nature 639, 348–353 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08563-x

Research Highlight by Jochen Blumberger from Nature Communications

Kit Joll, Philipp Schienbein, Kevin M Rosso, and Jochen BlumbergerA machine learning method is introduced that enables nanosecond simulation of condensed phase systems interacting with external electric fields at ab-initio accuracy.PK Joll, P Schienbein, KM Rosso, and J Blumberger. Machine learning the electric field response of condensed phase systems using perturbed neural network potentials. Nat Commun 15, 8192 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52491-3

Image from recent publication in Physical Review Letters relating to Frank Kruger

Huanzhi Hu and Frank KrugerThe topological phase transition between the gapless and gapped Kitaev quantum spin liquids becomes non-trivial in the presence of additional magnetic interactions, resulting in a new universality class with non-Fermi liquid behaviour of the emergent Majorana fermions.Huanzhi Hu and Frank Kruger. Nature of Topological Phase Transition of Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquids. Phys Rev Lett 133, 146603 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.146603

Research Highlight by Jochen Blumberger from Science Advances

Jan Elsner, Yucheng Xu, Elliot D Goldberg, Filip Ivanovic, Aaron Dines, Samuele Giannini, Henning Sirringhaus, and Jochen BlumbergerA quantum dynamical simulation approach is developed revealing in atomistic detail how the charge carrier wavefunction moves along a temperature gradient in an organic molecular crystal.Jan Elsner et al. Thermoelectric transport in molecular crystals driven by gradients of thermal electronic disorder. Sci Adv 10, eadr1758 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1758

Image from recent publication in Physical Review X relating to Jochen Blumberger

...Acceptor Material          Ljiljana Stojanović, Jack Coker, Samuele Giannini, Giacomo Londi, Anders S. Gertsen, Jens Wenzel Andreasen, Jun Yan, Gabriele D’Avino, David Beljonne, Jenny Nelson, and Jochen BlumbergerIn organic semiconductors, charge carriers may form delocalized or localized quasiparticles depending on molecular properties and environmental effects. Here, it is shown how structural and electrostatic disorder induce localization.Stojanović, L et al. Disorder-Induced Transition from Transient Quantum Delocalization to Charge Carrier Hopping Conduction in a Nonfullerene Acceptor Material. Phys Rev X 14, 021021 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.14.021021

Image from recent publication in Science Advances relating to Marzena Szymanska

Hassan Alnatah, Paolo Comaron, Shouvik Mukherjee, Jonathan Beaumariage,  Loren N Pfeiffer, Ken West, Kirk Baldwin, Marzena Szymańska, and David W SnokePhase fluctuations determine the low-energy properties of quantum condensates. However, at the condensation threshold, both density and phase fluctuations are relevant. The manifestation of a critical quantum state competition unlocks possibilities for the study of condensate formation while linking to practical realizations in photonic lasers.Hassan Alnatah et al. Critical fluctuations in a confined driven-dissipative quantum condensate. Sci Adv 10, eadi6762 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi6762

Research Highlight by Steven Schofield from Nature Communications

Procopios Constantinou, Taylor J. Z. Stock, Li-Ting Tseng, Dimitrios Kazazis, Matthias Muntwiler, Carlos A. F. Vaz, Yasin Ekinci, Gabriel Aeppli, Neil J. Curson, and Steven R. SchofieldUnleashing the power of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light, scientists from UCL and the Paul Scherrer Institute, EPFL, and ETHZ in Switzerland have devised an innovative technique for patterning hydrogen-terminated silicon, charting a course towards the large-scale fabrication of quantum devices in silicon.Procopios Constantinou et al. EUV-induced hydrogen desorption as a step towards large-scale silicon quantum device patterning. Nat Commun 15, 694 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44790-6

Relevant links:

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Title 2 

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