Dynamic force spectroscopy of reversibly bonded systems:
The application of mechanical forces allows the opening of adhesion bonds in a variety of systems ranging from single biomolecules to supramolecular complexes. In some cases it is possible to observe the reverse process of bond formation. We study reversible bond-breaking dynamics via molecular dynamics simulations and the analysis of stochastic models.
Transfer of electronic energy in model systems:
Electronic energy transfer from a donor to an acceptor plays a fundamental role as a elementary step in many physicochemical processes, for instance the collection of energy in light harvesting complexes. There are a number of open questions regarding the detailed mechanism of the transfer and the temperature dependence of the corresponding rates.
Dynamics in complex systems:
The dynamics in disordered systems is many orders of magnitude slower than typical microscopic processes in condensed matter. As a consequence, such processes can be studied via stochastic models neglecting inertial effects completely. We use stochastic models to study the information content of nonlinear experiments and the behavior o complex systems in out-of-equilibrium situations.