About Me
We at the `Soft Matter & Light Scattering Group' use and develop experimental tools to study the structure, dynamics and rheology of Soft Matter, materials which are easily deformable by external fields or even by thermal fluctuations. These materials present interesting features & properties in a range of length and time scales which demands investigation using a variety of experimental techniques such as light, x-ray and neutron scattering as well as complementary techniques like confocal microscopy and rheology. Our interest is to understand the structure property relationships in these interesting materials. We also develop new tools and experimental techniques to explore all properties of the material. Our current interests are in the area of temperature and pH sensitive microgels and their phase behaviour. Our specific interests are in understanding how the cross-linking density as well as the structure of the microgels affect the glassy behaviour of these materials. We use scattering techniques (light/x-ray/neutron), confocal microscopy and rheology in our investigations. We also have expertise in synthesizing microgels of different geometries and morphologies. We use these microgel particles as model systems to investigate the behaviour of more complex matter.