Vivek Sharma’s Soft Matter ODES-lab
Optics, Dynamics, Elasticity, & Self-Assembly (ODES)
Sharma’s Soft Matter ODES-lab’s research quests are motivated by fundamental challenges of mapping the dynamics, assembly, interactions, and interfacial activity of dispersed phases (polymers, micelles, particles, proteins, drops, and bubbles) onto the stability, rheology, processability, and applications of soft matter and complex fluids in biology, daily life, and industry.
polymer and soft matter physics, scaling & dimensional analysis, rheology & mechanics,
colloids & fizzics (the science of drops, bubbles, films, jets, sprays, emulsions, and foams)
industrial complex fluids (engineering formulations & plant-based foods),
biophysics, fiber spinning & additive manufacturing, the science of art & art of science
We employ experiments and theory, love designing frugal experimental protocols, and collaborate with academic and industry partners, all while seeking gradual maturation and enrichment of our knowledge and understanding of the physicochemical world of soft matter.
| we have an open-door policy to welcome UIC undergraduates seeking research experience|
*ODES: definitions (selected):
Etymology.com: Words like cathode, anode, electrode, diode, method & period contain Greek ‘hodos’ (-ode) meaning way or path.
Wolfram: ODEs (Ordinary Differential Equations) are equations involving a function and its derivative. N.B.: We love PDEs too.
Poets.org says: “Ode” from the Greek aeidein, meaning to sing or chant, and belongs to the long and varied tradition of lyric poetry.
We like all three types of odes, Pindarian Odes (point, counterpoint & stand, usually performed in public) and Horatian Odes (rhythmatic, structured, rhyming and formal description of personal matters or observations) to the modern Irregular Odes (more free in rhyme, meter, scope, styling). Our goal is to frame questions and our findings in a way that can be an opening, a path, or a quest for others.
For questions, suggestions, curiosities, joining the lab, or initiating a discussion about funding or collaborations