Condensed Matter and Complex Materials: Currently nine of the groups involved develop research within this line: UCM, GISC-UCM, ICMM, UNED, UAM, GISC-UC3M, UPM, IQFR and SOFTMA-1. Condensed matter and, in general, complex materials, are characterized by different levels of description (micro-, meso- and macroscopic). Each one emerges as a collective phenomenon from the level immediately below. Thus, for instance, the atomic and molecular scale generates the hydrodynamic description of fluids. One goal of this proposal is to make these connections in a few systems of interest, as well as provide mesoscopic descriptions of other system. Among the systems of interest we can mention colloidal suspensions, polymers), granular media, membranes, vesicles, Langmuir monolayers, proteins, confined fluids (e.g. in porous media), etc. The technological interest of these kind of materials is out of question. For this reason much effort has been spent in designing models able to capture the observed phenomena and in devising appropriate simulation techniques, both tools perfectly fitting the descriptors of this call. The research lines within which we propose specific goals in Condensed Matter [Chai95], with emphasis in Soft Matter [Kle03], are:
Quantum effects in properties of molecules and solids: When it comes to study phenomena or properties directly related to electronic distributions, quantum description is anavoidable. For some systems, mainly in soft condensed matter and molecular solids, there are effective, classical models for the interactions which avoid the quantum approach, but this is not always so. The most prominent example is the "isotope effect" (differences in macroscopic behavior of materials made of different isotopes of the same atom), exclusively due to quantum effects on the atomic nucleii, and whose study requires path-integral-based simulations [Ram07].
Complex fluids, polymers and liquid crystals: The complexity of these fluids lies in the shape of their molecules, which gives rise to a big deal of mesophases with novel properties. These properties are so technologically relevant that we can find these fluids in ordinary life (paints, soaps, sauces, etc.) as well as in industrial processes (polymer fuses, liquid crystals, compound materials, etc.). In this category belong many fluids [Vega04] like polymers [Ezq07], surfactants, liquid crystals [Med05], colloidal systems and some biological systems (membranes, proteins in solution, etc.).
