Key questions in Condensed Matter Theory include:

• Can we understand emergent properties of matter such as the existence of metallic and insulating states, superconductivity, and magnetic long-range order from the relatively simple interaction laws at the microscopic level?
• Is there universal behavior at large length and time scales, which is insensitive to the details of the microscopic interaction?
• What types of topological order are possible?
• What are the best ways to think about disorder?
• Can a theory of out-of-equilibrium statistical mechanics be constructed that matches the power of equilibrium statistical mechanics?

This group interacts with experimental physicists, and other theorists, on a variety of levels. There is a weekly condensed matter and biological physics seminar, and also a weekly condensed matter journal club. We also have interdisciplinary collaborations with engineers, biologists, mathematicians, and climate scientists.