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Nonequilibrium Physics (R) Lab
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The lab theoretically explores nonequilibrium phenomena in flowing matter and moving particles.
AboutAbout the lab
Theoretical exploration of nonequilibrium phenomena in matter that almost flows but doesn't
The Nonequilibrium Physics Lab (R Lab) studies, theoretically and numerically, nonequilibrium phenomena in "flowing matter" such as glasses, the jamming transition, and soft matter, as well as in active matter, which consists of self-propelled particles.
Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics taught at the undergraduate level deal with thermal equilibrium, but most natural phenomena around us occur in nonequilibrium states far from equilibrium.
No physical theory yet unifies the understanding of nonequilibrium phenomena, and the lab's major goal is to find the universal laws hidden behind seemingly complex phenomena.
The lab uses tools of theoretical physics, including field theory, stochastic process theory, and simulation.
Key terms
- Soft matter
- A general term for soft materials that flow, or almost flow without quite flowing, such as water, gels, and piles of sand.
- Glass transition
- The phenomenon in which a liquid changes into a state in which it flows with difficulty. The arrangement of molecules remains random.
- Active matter
- Matter that moves spontaneously. Cells, flocks of birds and fish, and bacterial colonies are subjects of study.
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received the Outstanding Student Presentation Award of the Physical Society of Japan
A book on Monte Carlo methods by Assistant Professor Yoshihiko Nishikawa was published
A doctoral student won a Poster Award at STATPHY29
A doctoral student won a Poster Award at the 12th Liquid Matter Conference
ResearchResearch themes
Taking the view that the world is fundamentally in a nonequilibrium state, the lab studies a wide range of nonequilibrium phenomena theoretically. It investigates the fundamental phenomena underlying nonequilibrium behavior, such as the flow of matter, molecular fluctuations, and heat transfer, using field theory, stochastic process theory, and simulation.
*Illustrative imageGlass Transition
The lab investigates the nature of the glass transition, in which a flowing liquid becomes hard to flow, using simulation and the theory of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. In a liquid approaching vitrification, the motion of molecules shows fractal-like heterogeneity.
*Illustrative imagePhysics of Active Matter
Flocks of birds or fish and bacterial colonies can behave like soft matter or glasses, and show pronounced collective motion at high density. Using methods developed in glass transition research, the lab aims to understand matter that moves spontaneously.
*Illustrative imageTheory of Crystallization and Heat Conduction
The lab also works on the mechanism by which a liquid becomes a crystal (nucleation), and on stochastic process theory of nonequilibrium phenomena such as heat conduction and diffusion. It aims to uncover universal laws hidden in familiar phenomena.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Nonequilibrium Physics Lab (R Lab) consist of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKunimasa Miyazaki
- Assistant ProfessorYoshihiko Nishikawa
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “LRO granular debris flow on the wall of Stevinus A crater” NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University / Public domain (cropped)
- Glass Transition: “Flock of Rosy Starlings, near Delhi 2” Thomas.abey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Physics of Active Matter: “Murmuration 11-2025” Skander zarrad / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Theory of Crystallization and Heat Conduction: “Iron Sulphate Nucleation Point” KarlGaff / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Complexity Science Theory (ΣT) Lab): “Experimental hall of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator at IPP Greifswald 03” Siarhei Besarab / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cellular Information Biophysics (K) Lab): “Predicted tertiary structure of ZNF568, which is 45.20% identical to the ZNF337 protein sequence. Created using SWISS-MODEL” Saure011 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Astrophysics (Ta) Lab): “VST image of the spectacular star-forming region Messier 17 (Omega Nebula)” ESO/INAF-VST/OmegaCAM. Acknowledgement: OmegaCen/Astro-WISE/Kapteyn Institute / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Quark-Hadron Theory (H) Lab): “-A4-at-144-dpi” Pcharito / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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