 |  |  |
Chair Löwen
| Dr. Alexander Antonov |  |
| Postdoctoral Researcher | |
| Institut für Theoretische Physik II - Soft Matter | |
| Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf | |
| Building 25.32 | |
| Room O2.54 | |
| Universitätsstraße 1 | |
| D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany | |
| phone: +49-211-81-15934 | |
| e-mail: antonov <at> thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de | |
Research
Key aspects of my research interests are theoretical studies of transport properties in soft and active matter systems, including colloidal suspensions and granular active media. For these studies, I apply various analytical techniques in combination with computer simulations. I specialize in bridging theory, computation, and experimental outcomes to deepen the understanding of the systems under investigation and enhance the findings. My theoretical expertise includes path-integral techniques, density functional theory, and mathematical modeling of complex systems, including development of new algorithms.- Active Matter
Active – or self-propelled – particles are characterized by the ability to transform the energy from the environment or their internal motors into the directed motion. Due to their activity, they can pave their way through complex environments towards the designated goal, which is characteristic for broad spectrum of systems, from living organisms searching for food, to drug delivery. My research focuses on granular particles and their collective behaviors, such as clustering and motility-induced phase separation (MIPS), exploring how these phenomena can be steered indirectly by adjusting activity through the environment. Paper on the collective behavior of active vibrobots.
Another research direction focused on the quantization of active matter, i.e. designing particles that follow quantum statistics and break detailed balance. One possible approach to quantum active matter is to mimic active motion by considering a quantum particle trapped in an external potential, where the potential minimum moves like a classical active particle (see image above in the right). Unlike semiclassical or lattice-based realizations of active matter, this approach generates new quantum active effects already at the single-particle level, which become more pronounced without dissipation. Paper on the quantum-active particle.
- Colloids
My work on colloids mainly addresses their transport properties in narrow channel-like structures, where spatial confinement restricts particles from changing their order, leading to single-file transport. This kind of motion is typical for transport through pores, membranes and channels which are all omnipresent in nature. Specifically, I study branching problems [paper on the branching of colloidal particles] and single-file transport in periodic structures, where dense systems under an external potential can exhibit remarkable collective effects, like stable propagating particle cluster waves – or solitons. Theoretical study and experimental realization.
Curriculum Vitae
| 2023-present | Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute for Theoretical Physics II, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf |
| 2020-2023 | Ph.D student, Institute for Physics, Osnabrück University |
Awards
| 2024 | Hans-Mühlenhoff-Stiftung Prize for the outstanding work in the fields of natural sciences, law, economics and cognitive sciences, press release 1, 2 (German only) |
Selected Publications
- A. P. Antonov, M. Musacchio, H. Löwen and L. Caprini, Self-sustained frictional cooling in active matter, Nat. Commun. 16, 7325 (2025). 10.1038/s41467-025-62626-9
- A. P. Antonov, M. Terkel, F. J. Schwarzendahl, C. Rodríguez-Gallo, P. Tierno and H. Löwen, Controlling colloidal flow through a microfluidic Y-junction, Commun. Phys. 8, 165 (2025). 10.1038/s42005-025-02094-1
- A. P. Antonov, L. Caprini, A. Ldov, C. Scholz and H. Löwen, Inertial active matter with Coulomb friction, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 198301 (2024) [Editors' Suggestion]. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.198301
- E. Cereceda-López*, A. P. Antonov*, A. Ryabov, P. Maass and P. Tierno, Overcrowding induces fast colloidal solitons in a slowly rotating potential landscape, Nat. Commun. 14, 6448 (2023). 10.1038/s41467-023-41989-x
- A. P. Antonov, A. Ryabov and P. Maass, Solitons in overdamped Brownian dynamics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 080601 (2022) [Editors' Suggestion]. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.080601
See full list in Google Scholar
Commitment information: I accurately check the content of external links, but I do not enter into a commitment for their content. Responsible for the content of linked pages are the operating companies.
antonov <at> thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de · Last modified: Wed, October 29 2025 16:37:39 · ©2025-Dr. Alexander Antonov