An introduction to the colloidal glass transition

Abstract

Colloids are suspensions of small solid particles in a liquid, and exhibit glassy behavior when the particle concentration is high. In these samples, the particles are roughly analogous to individual molecules in a traditional glass. This model system has been used to study the glass transition since the 1980's. In this Viewpoint we summarize some of the intriguing behaviors of the glass transition in colloids, and discuss open questions.