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Irradiation with high-energy photons (x-ray) produces charged and neutral species which can both influence the production of the damage caused by the radiation via direct and indirect processes, respectively. The original approach of our consortium is to combine state-of-the-art quantification metho

We plan to detect a physical phenomenon never directly observed in the laboratory: the Breit-Wheeler (BW) process. According to the quantum electrodynamics theory, this is the process inverse to the electron-positron annihilation: two photons collide and create an electron-positron pair in vacuum. T

The DIRAC3D project aims at expanding radically the experimental and theoretical knowledge of 3D Dirac and Weyl semimetals, which have recently emerged as a new intriguing playground for both fundamental and applied condensed matter physics. We propose a genuine inspection of their electrical and op

Cavitation, i.e. the formation of a vapor bubble in a stretched liquid, is of fundamental interest and plays a central role in many technologies and natural science. For decades, the consensus has been that, in bulk liquid, cavitation occurs via the stochastic formation of a bubble nucleus as descri

In this project, we propose to study novel tissue-mimetic systems to understand the physical basis of collective remodeling in biological tissues. In particular, we will study how the interplay between adhesion and forces controls the emergence of tissue architecture during morphogenesis. Indeed, du

The PROMAFAO project aims at a qualitative leap in the understanding of the structural and magnetic properties of textured ferrofluids. Ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid (water, oil,…). Particles are composed of a ferro/ferrimagnetic material (g-Fe

The present project proposes to use advanced spectroscopy and structural experiments combined with state-of-the-art numerical modeling to achieve an accurate description of the microscopic mechanism of pressure-induced polyamorphism in a set of representative oxide glasses. The project addresses ver

Ultrashort laser high order harmonic generation (HHG) in gases have started 30 years ago a new era of real time observation of electron ultrafast dynamics. However, because of the very high electric fields needed to tunnel ionize the atoms, HHG implies the use of amplified and complex laser systems,

The Hy-Light project participates in the current efforts for the design and realization of suitable quantum resources for the processing and transfer of information encoded in photonic quantum states. The wave-particle duality of light has led to two traditionally-separated encodings of informatio

Turbulence occurs in most astrophysical and geophysical flows, as well as in many industrial processes. In most situations, turbulence transfers energy from large to small scales. For three-dimensional flows, energy is injected at the forcing scale and nonlinear interactions transfer it to shorter s

Turbulence, defined generically as an out-of-equilibrium state of systems with a large number of degrees of freedom, is not a concept restricted to fluid dynamics. An ensemble of dispersive waves in nonlinear interaction is indeed also said to be in a turbulent state, called Wave Turbulence, which i

The semiconductor electronics scaling roadmap is expected to reach its physical fundamental limits within the next decade. Superconductor electronics is one of the most promising alternatives due to higher operating frequencies and lower switching energies. Current challenges include development of

Objectives of the projest are following: (1) Identify the mechanics at play during ridge growth and relaxation (2) Investigate the effects of poro- and visco-elasticity on the dynamics of wetting on gels (3) Probe the existence of mechanical non-linearity during the wetting of very soft substrat

HEXSIGE project departs from our pioneered observation of shear-induced phase transformation in Si and Ge nanowires (NWs). The transformation results in quasi-periodic heterostructures constituted of standard cubic-diamond-3C and hexagonal-2H allotropes along the nanowire. This unprecedented nanostr

A computer exploiting quantum-mechanical properties such as superposition and entanglement would run more efficient algorithms than a classical machine. It would also be able to simulate many-body quantum systems much faster. The greatest challenge posed by quantum computers is decoherence. Certain

Our understanding of quantum physics and our ability to manipulate individual quantum systems has considerably progressed in the last decades. These progresses led to deep insights into basic quantum phenomena (measurement, entanglement, non-locality…). Furthermore, we are now in a position to harne

The physicochemical evolution of many astrophysical media is influenced by the interaction of dilute phase matter with local radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. Excitation of these species in this spectral domain is at the origin of complex relaxation processes such as ionization, frag

Following the extremely successful research on graphene, work on layered van der Waals materials in general has opened up many new lines of research and potential applications. Here monolayer (ML) MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 stand out due to their versatility : these semiconductors have a direct-ban

This is a project involving theorists in statistical and condensed matter physics. Based on our recent breakthrough in applying random matrix theory (RMT) to the physics of trapped cold fermions, our project aims (i) to develop new theoretical methods to describe the statics and dynamics of cold at

The project brings together experimentalists and theoreticians from Toulouse (LCAR UMR 5589, LPT UMR5152) and Orsay (LPTMS 8626). We propose a new approach to cold atom experiments, where a controlled complexity renders a single system very versatile. The complexity will be built progressively in t

Self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are very promising system to store and manipulate spin and also for photon-based quantum information. Their inherent quantum confinement enhances the coupling of optical excitations (i.e. excitons) and the spin degree of freedom carried by a single elec

First-principle approaches to the modelling of complex physical systems, i.e. with strong and heterogeneous interactions, have often produced limited progress so far. An example is provided by proteins: despite intensive studies, accurate models capable of predicting how proteins fold, interact with

Pairing of fermions is the microscopic mechanism at the heart of conventional superconductivity. In the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) model, the Cooper pair is formed by two electrons with opposite momenta. As a result, the robustness of the superconductor state is intimately linked to the pair st

The goal of the project is to develop techniques, in a staged approach, and push for optimization of a compact and high-brightness source of pulsed neutrons, using high-power lasers as a driver. In short, such lasers offer prospect for relatively inexpensive, extremely compact, collimated and fast (

Shapes in nature, from cauliflower to brain, emerge from growth of tissues. Growth intrinsically generates strains and stresses. Conversely, through mechanisms of mechanotransduction, stresses regulate growth. Understanding ultimately the emergence of shapes, in particular in biological tissues, req

The influence of deformation on the transport of flexible particles in turbulence is generally neglected in Lagrangian turbulence. However particle flexibility plays a key role in numerous applications from the fragmentation of plastic litters in the ocean to the transport of flexible fibers in the

Quantum materials are complex systems hosting a wide variety of low energy quantum orders which are often intertwined together. They defy fundamental understanding as much as they gather hopes for their technological use provided that we can understand and control their collective quantum phenomena.

Cellular decision-making in complex environments depends on both biochemical and mechanical signals. It is now well established that adherent cells generate mechanical forces to sense the adhesive geometry and rigidity of their environment, with dramatic consequences for migration, differentiation a

The local competition of the superconducting ground state with a nanoscale exchange or Coulomb potential opens an extremely rich field of physics, including Shiba or novel Majorana-type states. The latter are discussed as promising examples for the realization of fault-tolerant quantum computing. By

The project aims at an experimental investigation and a theoretical understanding of skyrmions (topological spin textures) in quantum-Hall systems, i.e. 2D electrons in a strong magnetic field. More specifically, using spin-resolved scanning tunnelling microscopy, we plan to study skrymions in grap

How to describe physically, i.e. without phenomenological assumption, the plastic deformation of amorphous solids? The PAMPAS project aims to answer this open question using the new method developed by the scientific coordinator that allows us to systematically measure the local yield stresses, down

The recent production of ultracold dipolar molecules at the quantum-state controlled level has led to tremendous enthusiasm in the scientific community of ultracold physics. Dipolar molecules in ultracold gases can nonetheless suffer from two-body, and if not, from three-body chemical reactions, lea