Slow relaxations and memory effects in soft disordered systems

Many nonlinear disordered systems that are far from equilibrium exhibit a range of similar physical phenomena, such as logarithmic relaxations, aging, and memory effects. Yet, in spite of many studies that have been conducted on a broad range of systems, understanding the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of disordered systems and uncovering the underlying mechanisms remain an outstanding problem in condensed matter physics. Here, I will describe several disordered soft-matter systems that exhibit a similar repertoire of far-from-equilibrium behavior, including logarithmic relaxation and a memory effect that can last hours. I will then describe techniques we are developing to probe the structural dynamics in these systems as they evolve, presenting an opportunity to reveal and compare mechanisms across different systems.