Professor Tao Pang and his group are developing and applying theoretical and computational methods to study new materials and structures, such as small clusters of atoms and molecules, quantum dots, and electronic materials at high pressure. Fundamental dynamical processes and new device concepts emerging from these new materials are explored in detail on a 40-gigaflop parallel/distributed computer cluster.
The computational techniques involved include the path-integral quantum Monte Carlo simulation and the ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. Other many-body methods such as functional variation are also implemented in their studies.
The research projects and activities in the group are supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense.