Universitat de les Illes Balears
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Connecting Science,
Understanding Complexity
Research Lines
- Complex systems. Nonlinear and Statistical Physics
Complex systems, a central paradigm at IFISC, are characterized by emergent and collective phenomena of many interacting units. Fundamental understanding of these systems comes from Statistical Physics together with the Theory of Dynamical Systems, which includes the study of chaos and the effect of fluctuations and random events on systems evolution. Generic phenomena under consideration include synchronization, phase transitions, nonequilibrium instabilities, spatiotemporal pattern formation, or dynamics and evolution of complex networks.
- Quantum physics: photons, electrons and information
Very small systems (nanoscience) and light-matter interaction (quantum optics) share a common background in Quantum Physics. These are subjects of interest in fundamental research and also in view of new technologies, such as quantum devices and quantum computers. In particular, the possibility to overcome the limitations imposed by classical physics leads to new ways to manage the information (quantum information).
The research at IFISC focuses on the theoretical study of specific topics within these timely lines. Charge and spin transport (nanoelectronics and spintronics) are studied in semiconductor nanostructures, including quantum dots and wires. The possibility to control photonic properties, such as quantum correlations and entanglement in light beams, are studied in nonlinear optical devices, cold atoms and lasers. General properties shared by these systems are studied in the context of quantum information, focusing on the identification of entangled states, the characterisation of their degree of entanglement and its creation and dynamical evolution.
IFISC-OSA student chapter started in March 2009 - Nonlinear Optics and Dynamics of Optoelectronic Devices
The general topic of this line is the study of the light-matter non-linear interaction and its consequences towards applications in emerging photonics technologies. We study emitter systems (lasers, mainly semiconductor ones) as well as systems subject to optical injection (semiconductor optical amplifiers, Kerr media, parametric oscillators). Most of the research carried out on this line can be classified in two complementary categories: The study of temporal evolution (dynamics) and the generation of non homogeneous light distributions (pattern formation).
Dynamics of semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers. This includes aspects like temporal variations in the beam characteristics and nonlinear effects in edge emitting lasers as well as the mechanisms for selection, destabilization and switching of the polarization state in vertical cavity lasers, with the perspective of possible applications in information and communication technologies. One topic of research focuses on the use of chaotic lasers to increase the security in optical communications, studying the chaotic dynamics of lasers subject to optical or electro-optical feedback and the synchronization of chaotic lasers.
Formation of spatial structures and its dynamics in optical cavities filled with nonlinear media (Kerr, optical parametric oscillators, second harmonic generation). This study implications range from fundamental aspects like the existence of macroscopic effects of the quantum fluctuations, to potential applications for all optical processing of information and images. The bistable localized structures (solitons) that appear in the transverse plane in these devices, as well as in semiconductor lasers, have potential application as reconfigurable memory, shift registers or parallel-serial converters. Furthermore the possibility of using nonlinear optical cavities to perform all-optical contrast enhancement and contour recognition of images has also been studied.
IFISC-OSA student chapter started in March 2009 - Fluid dynamics, Biofluids, and Geophysical fluids
Fluid flow is a natural process occurring in a huge range of scales, from blood capillaries to atmospheric weather systems. It is also widely spread in technological settings, being its understanding crucial to aircraft design or materials production, for example.
We concentrate in two research directions: on the one hand we study basic processes in fluid flow such as stirring, mixing, chemical or biological reactivity, instabilities, pattern formation, motion of non-ideal tracers, etc. The point of view of chaotic advection is a convenient starting point. On the other hand, we apply these concepts and methods to geophysical settings, mostly in ocean dynamics: transport modelling, plankton patchiness, ocean forecasting, stochastic forcing effects, etc. More recent topics include studies of biofluids, such as embrionic nodal flow, or plankton and bacterial swimming, and topics in microfluidics.
- Biological Physics and nonlinear phenomena in ecology and physiology
The general topic of this line is the study of some biological systems, mostly under the prism of modern Systems Biology, i.e. from the tenet that most observed behavior in living systems stems from complex, emergent interactions among its constituents.
Present research topics include the dynamics of neuronal systems, with special emphasis in stochastic effects and synchronization properties, drug transport and absorption, population dynamics, phylogenetic networks and ecological structure and dynamics, including growth, aggregation processes and spatial effects, with special focus to clonal plants and savannahs.
Methods of complex network analysis, stochastic simulations, and the theory of nonlinear dynamical systems, such as delayed coupled systems, are used thoroughly.
Complex systems, a central paradigm at IFISC, are characterized by emergent and collective phenomena of many interacting units. Fundamental understanding of these systems comes from Statistical Physics together with the Theory of Dynamical Systems, which includes the study of chaos and the effect of fluctuations and random events on systems evolution. Generic phenomena under consideration include synchronization, phase transitions, nonequilibrium instabilities, spatiotemporal pattern formation, or dynamics and evolution of complex networks.
Computing Services Unit
The Computing Services Unit manages the computational resources at IFISC. Nuredduna is our main computer cluster.
