| Citation | Denis Weaire has made highly imaginative contributions to solid state theory, materials science and computational physics. His early work on pseudopotential theory provided lasting insights into the factors which determine the structure of metals. He laid many of the foundations of the theory of amorphous tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors, beginning with a remarkable proof of the existence of a band gap for the Weaire-Thorpe Hamiltonian.
He adapted the equation-of-motion method to study Anderson localisation and other properties, and developed useful algorithms and approximations for laser physics, optical bistability and Gaussian beam propagation.
Recent achievements include the first simulations of structure, coarsening and rheology of a realistic 2d foam, and the incorporation of Plateau borders. The computation of a 3d structure (Weaire-Phelan structure) which has cells of equal volume and surface area less than that of Kelvin's 1887 tetrakaidecahedra has been hailed as a significant discovery for minimal surface theory as well as foam experiments. Observations of new solitary wave phenomena in foam drainage and the formulation of a corresponding theory, lend further impetus to rapid progress in this field, in which Weaire's work consistently points the way to a growing world-wide community of researchers. |