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Dr Asaph Widmer-Cooper

BSc PhD Sydney
ARC Australia Postdoctoral Fellow

F11 - Chemistry Building
The University of Sydney

Telephone 61 2 9114 1141
Fax 61 2 9351 3329

Website Contact Details

Biographical details

  • BSc (Hons I & Medal), University of Sydney, 1999
  • DAAD Fellow, German National Research Center for Information Science, 2000-2001
  • PhD, University of Sydney, 2006
  • Research Associate, University of Sydney, 2007
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California at Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2008-2010
  • ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-
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Research interests

My research focuses on understanding the behavior of complex fluids from a microscopic perspective using the tools of statistical mechanics and computer simulation. The questions I am interested in range from the fundamental, e.g. how do viscous liquids flow, to the applied, e.g. how to make nanocrystals assemble into structures that will be useful for harnessing solar energy. Common themes are a fascination with beautiful structures that can appear spontaneously in systems driven by disorder, and materials that have both liquid-like and solid-like properties. To inspire this work and to stimulate research on real physical systems I like to work closely with experimentalists.

My current research interests include:

  • Self-assembly of nanorods and nano-polyhedra
  • New materials for plasmonics and solar energy harvesting
  • Glass-formation, nucleation and crystal growth
  • Structure and dynamics of soft condensed matter
  • New Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods
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Awards and honours

  • The University Medal, University of Sydney, 1999
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Selected grants

2013

  • Structure and dynamics of soft condensed materials, with applications to colloidal assembly, crystallisation, glass-formation, and defect diffusion in quasicrystals.; Widmer-Cooper A; DVC Research/Bridging Support Fellowship.

2012

  • International short visit; Widmer-Cooper A, Del Gado E; Swiss National Science Foundation/Research Support.

2010

  • Soft modes in glasses: chemical control of relaxation and mechanical response; Widmer-Cooper A; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP).
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Selected publications

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Journals

  • Tondl, E., Ramsay, M., Harrowell, P., Widmer-Cooper, A. (2014). Defect-mediated relaxation in the random tiling phase of a binary mixture: Birth, death and mobility of an atomic zipper. Journal of Chemical Physics, 140(10), 1-8. [More Information]
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Geissler, P. (2014). Orientational ordering of passivating ligands on CdS nanorods in solution generates strong rod-rod interactions. Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology, 14(1), 57-65. [More Information]
  • Mosayebi, M., Ilg, P., Widmer-Cooper, A., Del Gado, E. (2014). Soft modes and nonaffine rearrangements in the inherent structures of supercooled liquids. Physical Review Letters, 112(10), 105503-1-105503-5. [More Information]
  • Colombo, J., Widmer-Cooper, A., Del Gado, E. (2013). Microscopic picture of cooperative processes in restructuring gel networks. Physical Review Letters, 110(19), 1-5. [More Information]
  • Lenzen, M., Dey, C., Foran, B., Widmer-Cooper, A., Ohlemüller, R., Williams, M., Wiedmann, T. (2013). Modelling interactions between economic activity, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and agricultural production. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 18(4), 377-416. [More Information]
  • Henzie, J., Grunwald, M., Widmer-Cooper, A., Geissler, P., Yang, P. (2012). Self-assembly of uniform polyhedral silver nanocrystals into densest packings and exotic superlattices. Nature Materials, 11(2), 131-137. [More Information]
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2011). Structural phases in non-additive soft-disk mixtures: Glasses, substitutional order, and random tilings. Journal of Chemical Physics, 135(22), 224515-1-224515-10.
  • Baker, J., Widmer-Cooper, A., Toney, M., Geissler, P., Alivisatos, A. (2010). Device-scale perpendicular alignment of colloidal nanorods. Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology.
  • Candelier, R., Widmer-Cooper, A., Kummerfeld, J., Dauchot, O., Biroli, G., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2010). Spatiotemporal hierarchy of relaxation events, dynamical heterogeneities, and structural reorganization in a supercooled liquid. Physical Review Letters, 105(13), 135702-1-135702-4.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2009). Central role of thermal collective strain in the relaxation of structure in a supercooled liquid. Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), 80(6), 061501-1-061501-6.
  • Lenzen, M., Lane, A., Widmer-Cooper, A., Williams, M. (2009). Effects of land use on threatened species [Efectos del uso de suelo sobre especies amenazadas]. Conservation Biology, 23(2), 294-306.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Perry, H., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2009). Localized soft modes and the supercooled liquid's irreversible passage through its configuration space. Journal of Chemical Physics, 131(19), 194508-1-194508-12.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Perry, H., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2008). Irreversible reorganization in a supercooled liquid originates from localized soft modes. Nature Physics, 4(9), 711-715.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2007). On the study of collective dynamics in supercooled liquids through the statistics of the isoconfigurational ensemble. Journal of Chemical Physics, 126(15), 154503-1-154503-9.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2006). Free volume cannot explain the spatial heterogeneity of Debye–Waller factors in a glass-forming binary alloy. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 352(42-49), 5098-5102. [More Information]
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2006). Predicting the long-time dynamic heterogeneity in a supercooled liquid on the basis of short-time heterogeneities. Physical Review Letters, 96(18), 185701-1-185701-4.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2005). On the relationship between structure and dynamics in a supercooled liquid. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 17(49), 4025-4034.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P., Fynewever, H. (2004). How Reproducible Are Dynamic Heterogeneities In A Supercooled Liquid? Physical Review Letters, 93(13), 135701-1-135701-4.
  • Hambley, T., Lindoy, L., Reimers, J., Turner, P., Wei, G., Widmer-Cooper, A. (2001). Macrocyclic ligand design. X-ray, DFT and solution studies of the effect of N-methylation and N-benzylation of 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane on its affinity for selected transition and post-transition metal ions. Dalton Transactions: an international journal of inorganic, organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry, 2001, 614-620.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Lindoy, L., Reimers, J. (2001). The effect of alkylation of N- and O-donor atoms on their strength of coordination to silver(I). The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A: Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General Theory, 105, 6567-6574.
  • Ayers, D., Gooley, P., Widmer-Cooper, A., Torda, A. (1999). Enhanced protein fold recognition using secondary structure information from NMR. Protein Science, 8(5), 1127-1133.

Conferences

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2004). How Reproducible Is The Structure Of Dynamic Heterogeneity In Glass Forming Liquids? Slow Dynamics in Complex Systems, New York: American Institute of Physics (AIP).

2014

  • Tondl, E., Ramsay, M., Harrowell, P., Widmer-Cooper, A. (2014). Defect-mediated relaxation in the random tiling phase of a binary mixture: Birth, death and mobility of an atomic zipper. Journal of Chemical Physics, 140(10), 1-8. [More Information]
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Geissler, P. (2014). Orientational ordering of passivating ligands on CdS nanorods in solution generates strong rod-rod interactions. Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology, 14(1), 57-65. [More Information]
  • Mosayebi, M., Ilg, P., Widmer-Cooper, A., Del Gado, E. (2014). Soft modes and nonaffine rearrangements in the inherent structures of supercooled liquids. Physical Review Letters, 112(10), 105503-1-105503-5. [More Information]

2013

  • Colombo, J., Widmer-Cooper, A., Del Gado, E. (2013). Microscopic picture of cooperative processes in restructuring gel networks. Physical Review Letters, 110(19), 1-5. [More Information]
  • Lenzen, M., Dey, C., Foran, B., Widmer-Cooper, A., Ohlemüller, R., Williams, M., Wiedmann, T. (2013). Modelling interactions between economic activity, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and agricultural production. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 18(4), 377-416. [More Information]

2012

  • Henzie, J., Grunwald, M., Widmer-Cooper, A., Geissler, P., Yang, P. (2012). Self-assembly of uniform polyhedral silver nanocrystals into densest packings and exotic superlattices. Nature Materials, 11(2), 131-137. [More Information]

2011

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2011). Structural phases in non-additive soft-disk mixtures: Glasses, substitutional order, and random tilings. Journal of Chemical Physics, 135(22), 224515-1-224515-10.

2010

  • Baker, J., Widmer-Cooper, A., Toney, M., Geissler, P., Alivisatos, A. (2010). Device-scale perpendicular alignment of colloidal nanorods. Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology.
  • Candelier, R., Widmer-Cooper, A., Kummerfeld, J., Dauchot, O., Biroli, G., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2010). Spatiotemporal hierarchy of relaxation events, dynamical heterogeneities, and structural reorganization in a supercooled liquid. Physical Review Letters, 105(13), 135702-1-135702-4.

2009

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2009). Central role of thermal collective strain in the relaxation of structure in a supercooled liquid. Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), 80(6), 061501-1-061501-6.
  • Lenzen, M., Lane, A., Widmer-Cooper, A., Williams, M. (2009). Effects of land use on threatened species [Efectos del uso de suelo sobre especies amenazadas]. Conservation Biology, 23(2), 294-306.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Perry, H., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2009). Localized soft modes and the supercooled liquid's irreversible passage through its configuration space. Journal of Chemical Physics, 131(19), 194508-1-194508-12.

2008

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Perry, H., Harrowell, P., Reichman, D. (2008). Irreversible reorganization in a supercooled liquid originates from localized soft modes. Nature Physics, 4(9), 711-715.

2007

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2007). On the study of collective dynamics in supercooled liquids through the statistics of the isoconfigurational ensemble. Journal of Chemical Physics, 126(15), 154503-1-154503-9.

2006

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2006). Free volume cannot explain the spatial heterogeneity of Debye–Waller factors in a glass-forming binary alloy. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 352(42-49), 5098-5102. [More Information]
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2006). Predicting the long-time dynamic heterogeneity in a supercooled liquid on the basis of short-time heterogeneities. Physical Review Letters, 96(18), 185701-1-185701-4.

2005

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2005). On the relationship between structure and dynamics in a supercooled liquid. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 17(49), 4025-4034.

2004

  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P., Fynewever, H. (2004). How Reproducible Are Dynamic Heterogeneities In A Supercooled Liquid? Physical Review Letters, 93(13), 135701-1-135701-4.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Harrowell, P. (2004). How Reproducible Is The Structure Of Dynamic Heterogeneity In Glass Forming Liquids? Slow Dynamics in Complex Systems, New York: American Institute of Physics (AIP).

2001

  • Hambley, T., Lindoy, L., Reimers, J., Turner, P., Wei, G., Widmer-Cooper, A. (2001). Macrocyclic ligand design. X-ray, DFT and solution studies of the effect of N-methylation and N-benzylation of 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane on its affinity for selected transition and post-transition metal ions. Dalton Transactions: an international journal of inorganic, organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry, 2001, 614-620.
  • Widmer-Cooper, A., Lindoy, L., Reimers, J. (2001). The effect of alkylation of N- and O-donor atoms on their strength of coordination to silver(I). The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A: Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General Theory, 105, 6567-6574.

1999

  • Ayers, D., Gooley, P., Widmer-Cooper, A., Torda, A. (1999). Enhanced protein fold recognition using secondary structure information from NMR. Protein Science, 8(5), 1127-1133.
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