diff --git a/include/utils/ComplexTypes.h b/include/utils/ComplexTypes.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3caddeb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/utils/ComplexTypes.h
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/**********************************************************************/
+/*                     DO NOT MODIFY THIS HEADER                      */
+/* MAGPIE - Mesoscale Atomistic Glue Program for Integrated Execution */
+/*                                                                    */
+/*            Copyright 2017 Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC            */
+/*                        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED                         */
+/**********************************************************************/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <complex>
+
+#include "RankTwoTensor.h"
+#include "RankThreeTensor.h"
+#include "RankFourTensor.h"
+
+#include "libmesh/vector_value.h"
+
+typedef std::complex<Real> Complex;
+typedef VectorValue<std::complex<Real>> ComplexVectorValue;
+typedef RankTwoTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>> ComplexRankTwoTensor;
+typedef RankThreeTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>> ComplexRankThreeTensor;
+typedef RankFourTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>> ComplexRankFourTensor;
+
+// helper template to select the corresponding complex tensor type
+template <typename T>
+struct ComplexType;
+
+template <>
+struct ComplexType<Real>
+{
+  using type = Complex;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct ComplexType<RealVectorValue>
+{
+  using type = ComplexVectorValue;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct ComplexType<RankTwoTensor>
+{
+  using type = ComplexRankTwoTensor;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct ComplexType<RankThreeTensor>
+{
+  using type = ComplexRankThreeTensor;
+};
+
+template <>
+struct ComplexType<RankFourTensor>
+{
+  using type = ComplexRankFourTensor;
+};
diff --git a/src/utils/ComplexTypes.C b/src/utils/ComplexTypes.C
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..489ea50e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/ComplexTypes.C
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/**********************************************************************/
+/*                     DO NOT MODIFY THIS HEADER                      */
+/* MAGPIE - Mesoscale Atomistic Glue Program for Integrated Execution */
+/*                                                                    */
+/*            Copyright 2017 Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC            */
+/*                        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED                         */
+/**********************************************************************/
+
+#include "ComplexTypes.h"
+#include "MooseError.h"
+#include "MooseUtils.h"
+
+namespace MooseUtils
+{
+
+template <>
+bool
+absoluteFuzzyEqual(const std::complex<Real> & var1,
+                   const std::complex<Real> & var2,
+                   const std::complex<Real> & tol)
+{
+  return (std::abs(var1 - var2) <= std::abs(tol));
+}
+
+template <>
+bool
+absoluteFuzzyEqual(const std::complex<Real> & var1,
+                   const Real & var2,
+                   const std::complex<Real> & tol)
+{
+  return (std::abs(var1 - var2) <= std::abs(tol));
+}
+
+} // namespace MooseUtils
+
+#include "RankTwoTensorImplementation.h"
+#include "RankThreeTensorImplementation.h"
+#include "RankFourTensorImplementation.h"
+
+template class VectorValue<std::complex<Real>>;
+
+template class RankTwoTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>>;
+template class RankThreeTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>>;
+template class RankFourTensorTempl<std::complex<Real>>;
diff --git a/unit/src/ComplexTypesTest.C b/unit/src/ComplexTypesTest.C
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98635a43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unit/src/ComplexTypesTest.C
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/****************************************************************/
+/*               DO NOT MODIFY THIS HEADER                      */
+/* MOOSE - Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment  */
+/*                                                              */
+/*           (c) 2010 Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC             */
+/*                   ALL RIGHTS RESERVED                        */
+/*                                                              */
+/*          Prepared by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC           */
+/*            Under Contract No. DE-AC07-05ID14517              */
+/*            With the U. S. Department of Energy               */
+/*                                                              */
+/*            See COPYRIGHT for full restrictions               */
+/****************************************************************/
+#include <cmath>
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "ComplexTypes.h"
+
+TEST(ComplexTypesTest, rankTwo)
+{
+  Complex c_1;
+  ComplexType<Real>::type c_2;
+  auto c = c_1 + c_2;
+
+  ComplexVectorValue v_1;
+  ComplexType<RealVectorValue>::type v_2;
+  auto v = v_1 + v_2;
+
+  ComplexRankTwoTensor r2_1;
+  ComplexType<RankTwoTensor>::type r2_2;
+  auto r2 = r2_1 + r2_2;
+
+  ComplexRankThreeTensor r3_1;
+  ComplexType<RankThreeTensor>::type r3_2;
+  auto r3 = r3_1 + r3_2;
+}