In physics, disordered systems are physical systems whose microscopic constituents (e.g., atoms, spins, impurities, or structural units) lack translational or orientational long-range order and are characterized by randomness in parameters such as positions, couplings, or local potentials. This quenched or annealed disorder crucially affects thermodynamic, transport, and dynamical properties, leading to phenomena such as Anderson localization, glassy dynamics, and complex energy landscapes. Disordered systems are modeled using probabilistic descriptions of disorder realizations and ensemble averages, often requiring techniques from statistical mechanics, random matrix theory, and renormalization group methods to analyze emergent macroscopic behavior and phase transitions in the presence of randomness.
Spin glasses are physical systems in which the small magnetic moments of particles (i.e., spins) interact with each other in a random way. These random interactions between spins make it impossible for all spins to satisfy ...
A fundamental link between two counterintuitive phenomena in spin glasses—reentrance and temperature chaos—has been mathematically proven for the first time. By extending the Edwards–Anderson model to include correlated disorder, ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 27, 2025
0
131
The amount of any given protein in a cell has to be controlled to keep its levels within a range required for healthy functions. This is especially important for proteins that are known to group together in liquid droplets ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 25, 2025
0
22
Why do glass and other amorphous materials deform more easily in some regions than in others? A research team from the University of Osaka, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Okayama ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 25, 2025
0
105
Scientists have turned a longstanding challenge in electronics—material defects—into a quantum-enhanced solution, paving the way for new-generation ultra-low-power spintronic devices. Spintronics, short for "spin electronics," ...
Condensed Matter
Aug 15, 2025
0
106
An international team of scientists, including physicists from HSE MIEM, has demonstrated that when defects within a material are arranged in a specific pattern rather than randomly, superconductivity can occur at a higher ...
Superconductivity
Jul 24, 2025
0
38
"Space ice" contains tiny crystals and is not a completely disordered material like liquid water, as previously assumed, according to a new study by scientists at UCL (University College London) and the University of Cambridge.
Astrobiology
Jul 7, 2025
0
320
I've always been fascinated by how materials break down, especially glasses and polymers that don't have a regular crystal structure. Unlike crystals, where we understand plasticity through things like dislocations, amorphous ...
A rare and bewildering intermediate between crystal and glass can be the most stable arrangement for some combinations of atoms, according to a study from the University of Michigan.
Condensed Matter
Jun 13, 2025
0
225
Often, physics can be used to make sense of the natural world, whether it's understanding gravitational effects on ocean tides or using powerful physics tools, like microscopes, to examine the inner workings of the cell. ...
General Physics
Jun 3, 2025
0
54
