Condensed matter physics

Condensed matter physics is a branch of physics that deals with the physical properties of condensed phases of matter.
The most familiar condensed phases are solids and liquids, while more exotic condensed phases include the superconducting phase exhibited by certain materials at low temperature, the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases of spins on atomic lattices, and the Bose-Einstein condensate found in cold atomic systems. The study of condensed matter physics involves measuring various material properties via experimental probes along with using techniques of theoretical physics to develop mathematical models that help in understanding physical behavior.

The field overlaps with chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology, and relates closely to atomic physics and biophysics. Theoretical condensed matter physics shares important concepts and techniques with theoretical particle and nuclear physics.

• informal comments

particle physics is about "undressing" particles into more and more elementary particles

condensed matter physics is about "dressing" particles by interactions, which leads to new composite particles (polarons, composite fermions in FQHE, etc.) and collective properties