Colloids and Coffee Rings

I will discuss soft matter experiments with colloidal suspensions which reveal new phenomena associated with a surprisingly broad range of problems. Some of these experiments, for example, have enabled us to learn about first steps of crystal melting [1] and about intermediate steps of solid-solid phase transitions [2]. Other experiments explore the ways in which colloidal particle shape can modify the so-called coffee ring effect [3].

References
[1] A.M. Alsayed, M.F. Islam, J. Zhang, P.J. Collings, A.G. Yodh, Science 309, 1207 (2005).
[2] Peng Y, Wang F, Wang Z, Alsayed AM, Zhang Z, Yodh AG, Han Y. Nat Mater. 2014 Sep 14. doi: 10.1038/nmat4083.
[3] P.J. Yunker, T. Still, M. Lohr, Yodh, A.G., Nature 476, 308 (2011); P.J. Yunker, M. Gratale, M. Lohr, T. Still, T. C. Lubensky, A.G. Yodh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 228303 (2012); P.J. Yunker, M. Lohr, T. Still, A. Borodin, D.J. Durian, A.G. Yodh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 035501 (2013). 
Prof. Yodh is one of the scientific leaders in the field of colloidal physics, as also in a whole bunch of other soft-matter-related fields. His current interests span fundamental and applied questions in condensed matter physics, medical and biophysics, and the optical sciences. Areas of ongoing research include: soft materials, complex fluids and networks, carbon nanotubes, laser spectroscopy, optical microscopy & micromanipulation, biomedical optics, functional imaging and spectroscopy of living tissues, photodynamic therapy and nonlinear optics.

Some information on Prof. Yodh's work can be found here:
http://www.physics.upenn.edu/yodhlab/