Dynamics of soft matter systems
Soft matter systems, such as colloidal suspensions, foams, and gels, present a fascinating interplay between microscopic interactions and macroscopic properties. Their dynamics often span a wide range of time and length scales, which we study by integrating experimental techniques that provide complementary insights into both real-space and reciprocal-space phenomena. For instance, our research on colloidal suspensions focuses on understanding the collective dynamics that emerge in dense systems, where individual particle motions give rise to dynamic heterogeneities and glass-like behavior. By employing advanced optical tools such as Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM), we probe these dynamics with high temporal and spatial resolution, revealing the fundamental mechanisms that drive transitions from fluid-like to arrested states. In foams, we investigate the coarsening process, where bubbles grow at the expense of smaller ones, driven by the interplay of surface tension and gas diffusion. Our studies have uncovered multiple dynamic regimes during foam coarsening, also demonstrating how viscoelasticity in the continuous phase can dramatically alter the coarsening kinetics and relaxation dynamics. For gels and network-forming systems, we explore the balance between elasticity and fluidity, focusing on how microscopic interactions translate into macroscopic mechanical responses. These investigations are closely linked to our rheomicroscopy efforts, which allow us to correlate structural rearrangements with bulk rheological properties during deformation and flow.
- Jae Hyung Cho, Roberto Cerbino, Irmgard Bischofberger (2020). Emergence of Multiscale Dynamics in Colloidal Gels. Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 088005.
- Raffaele Pastore, Fabio Giavazzi, Francesco Greco, Roberto Cerbino (2022). Multiscale heterogeneous dynamics in two-dimensional glassy colloids. J. Chem. Phys. 156, 1.
- Md. Arif Kamal, Matteo Brizioli, Thomas Zinn, Theyencheri Narayanan, Roberto Cerbino, Fabio Giavazzi, Antara Pal (2024). Dynamics of anisotropic colloidal systems: What to choose, DLS, DDM or XPCS?. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 660, 314-320.
- Paolo Edera, Matteo Brizioli, Mahnoush Madani, E. N'gouamba, Philippe Coussot, Veronique Trappe, George Petekidis, Fabio Giavazzi, Roberto Cerbino (2024). Yielding under the microscope: a multi-scale perspective on brittle and ductile behaviors in oscillatory shear. arXiv preprint arXiv: 2402.00221.
- Chiara Guidolin, Emmanuelle Rio, Roberto Cerbino, Fabio Giavazzi, Anniina Salonen (2024). Matrix Viscoelasticity Decouples Bubble Growth and Mobility in Coarsening Foams. Phys Rev Lett 133, 8, 088202.