A theoretical perspective is provided on the glass transition in molecular liquids at thermal
equilibrium, on the spatially heterogeneous and aging dynamics of disordered materials …

When we lower the temperature of a liquid, at some point we meet a first order phase
transition to the crystal. Yet, under certain conditions it is possible to keep the system in its …

This book gives a pedagogical introduction to the physics of amorphous solids and related
disordered condensed matter systems. Important concepts from statistical mechanics such …

There are at least three fundamental states of matter, depending upon temperature and
pressure: gas, liquid, and solid (crystal). These states are separated by first-order phase …

An intriguing problem in condensed matter physics is understanding the glass transition, in
particular the dynamics in the equilibrium liquid close to vitrification. Recent advances have …

Melting and freezing are very common phenomena in everyday life. This review focusses on
the statistical mechanics of these ubiquitous phase transitions and highlights recent work on …

Understanding the underlying principles of the glass transition is a long-standing problem in
condensed matter. Some have argued that the glass transition is a purely kinetic …

We review the Kauzmann paradox and what it implies about the configuration space energy
hypersurface for “structural glassformers.” With this background, we then show how the …

We carefully examine common measures of dynamical heterogeneity for a model polymer
melt and test how these scales compare with those hypothesized by the Adam and Gibbs …

Rich out-of-equilibrium collective dynamics of strongly interacting large assemblies emerge
in many areas of science. Some intriguing and not fully understood examples are the glassy …