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Time Irreversibility in Lagrangian Turbulence
The present project aims at obtaining quantitative progress in the understanding of this highly singular behavior. For this, we propose to build a consortium of leading theoretical and computational physicists from this field of research, and to put the focus on the irreversible nature of turbulence
Harnessing field-assisted transport and rheology of a bacterial magnetofluid
The objective of this project is to study the fundamental principles governing the emergence of a new class of fluids laden with motile MagneTotactic Bacteria (MTB). MTB are remarkable systems as their movement and organization can be remotely controlled by external fields: primarily the magnetic fi
QUantum free Electrons for NaNOopTics
The ambition of QUENOT is to overcome several current conceptual and experimental limits in nanooptics using the quantum properties of fast electrons. Indeed, certain key concepts and quantities in nanooptics (super-chirality, spatial coherence of excitations in optical nanostructures and quantum op
Indirect excitons for emerging quantum states
This research proposal aims at exploring (i) novel semiconductor nanostructures hosting indirect excitons (IXs) and (ii) emerging collective states that they form. This research topic belongs to a very active field of material physics spreading over atomic and solid-state physics. Collective states
Thermodynamics of Active Matter
Large assemblies of living or synthetic self-propelled particles make up Active Matter. They operate far from equilibrium without necessarily leading to macroscopic currents, hence a superficial resemblance to their equilibrium counterparts. Our project focuses on the theoretical challenges posed by
Uncovering Relativistic Instabilities in Plasmas
Non-equilibrium plasmas generally exhibit phase space anisotropies, for instance in the case of particle beams traversing background plasmas or in interpenetrating plasma flows – common configurations in space and laboratory plasmas. This results in the spontaneous growth of micro- instabilities, th
Coupling and Competition of Multiple Orders
Electronic correlations are at the origin of many remarkable properties in solid state physics. In some materials several orders can coexist, couple or compete, giving rise to new properties. The case of the 123 family of compounds, embodied by BaFe2Se3, is one of these. It is multiferroic close to
Testing Quantum Thermodynamics with local Probes
In one sentence, this project is about developing theories that explore how and where dissipation occurs in quantum transport through nanostructures, when such quantum transport is known to be "non-local". It is extremely timely because recent experimental breakthroughs in local probes have given un
Plastic Ultrafast LaSErs
The PULSE project aims at exploring novel temporal regimes in organic lasers. Organic and excitonic thin-film lasers are compact and low-cost sources that are able to emit over the entire visible spectrum and that are compatible with all existing platforms, including flexible or bio-substrates. They
Acoustics for antiferromagnets
The ACAF project is at the crossroads of two very exciting and promising fields that have emerged and gained increasing international visibility in recent years, namely antiferromagnets, for novel spintronic devices, and magneto-acoustics, for novel magnetization manipulation schemes. There is now a
Integrative model of spatial navigation in a mechanosensitive micro-organism
Paramecium is a large unicellular eukaryote organism, which swims in fresh water using cilia. It feeds on bacteria that it locates through chemotaxis, while avoiding obstacles thanks to its mechanical sensitivity. It controls its motion with action potentials that are produced, as in neurons, by vol
Quasiparticle dynamics in a one-dimensional Bose gas
Understanding quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium is a major challenge in modern Physics. Among those systems, one-dimensional gases are particularly interesting: powerful theoretical and numerical tools allow to apprehend them; the effects of quantum fluctuations and correlations are enhan
High field Enhancement of nucLear Polarisation In Noble Gases
Hyperpolarisation of noble gases is generally performed at low magnetic field (a few milliteslas) and protocols for high-field use in science or applications include several sensitive stages to preserve nuclear polarisation. In practice temporary gas storage, transportation, sample handling or shutt
Photodesorption induced by UV, X-rays and Electrons on Surfaces
The objectives of the PIXyES project consist in providing new results, both experimental and theoretical, concerning photo-induced processes in molecular solids that can have a significant impact on the physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium. The project focuses on the phenomena of photo-i
Ultrafast energy transfer in single nano-objects
The modalities of energy transfer at the nanoscale differ markedly from those at the macroscopic scale, in particular because of the increased role played by the interfaces. The partial reflection of phonons at interfaces induces in particular thermal resistances which play a central role at the nan
Localization of light in disordered topological metamaterials
The main objective of the LOLITOP project is to study the interplay between topological physics and disorder-induced effects for light in two-dimensional (2D) metamaterials made of subwavelength resonators. On the one hand, disorder may induce a topologically nontrivial phase – the so-called topolog
Atomic mixture of dysprosium and potassium in mixed dimensions
Interactions play a crucial role in our understanding of physical systems. Since the 19th century, initial modeling of two-particle interactions and their contribution to large ensembles led to new theoretical descriptions of gases and liquids. In particular, J. D. van der Waals showed that as two
Optimal Protocols in stochastics thermodynamics with Levitated nAnoparticle
The OPLA project aims at highlighting protocols to accelerate equilibration of nanothermodynamic systems or to optimize the work done during a cycle. It is particularly interested in the generality of such protocols, their extension to the underdamped regime, or their robustness against experimenta
Optimized on-demand ultrafast and broadband light sources using machine learning
OPTIMAL aims to develop advanced ultrafast and broadband light sources by bringing the power of machine learning into the mainstream of laser design and ultrafast nonlinear optics. Specific objectives include: (i) designing new approaches to generate broadband light with tailored spectral and tem
Evolving electronic transport in molecules/nanoparticles networks
Networks of molecularly functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) (hereafter called NMN : nanoparticle molecule network) have emerged as an interesting approach in molecular electronics to understand fundamental electron transport mechanisms, as well as to develop potential applications in electronics, sen
modeling Transport of Antibodies and BActeria in the Gut
In the digestive tract, there are commensal bacteria which are beneficial to the host, but also pathogenic bacteria that can invade. How does the host control its microbiota? One of the tools for the host is its immune system. The main effector of the adaptive immune response in the gut is a type of
COVariant Fluctuating hydrodynamics of Epithelial Flows
Recent advances in microscopy make it possible to image the entire embryonic development of a drosophila embryo with high spatial (sub-cellular) and temporal (second) resolution. Interpreting these new data requires new multi-scale theoretical approaches to unravel the relationship between embryonic
Orbitronics in non-centrosymmetric structures
Spin-orbit coupling is a powerful mechanism that has led to novel methods to pump charge currents and electrically control the magnetization of ultrathin magnetic films. Yet, the intense efforts aiming to better understand the physics at stake completely disregard the importance of the orbital effec
Field reinforced Superconductivity
Field reinforced or induced superconductivity is one of the most intriguing phenomena found in the rich family of ferromagnetic superconductors, and very recently in the paramagnetic system UTe2. A full understanding of superconductivity in these systems is crucial, as today they are the clearest ex
Stability of foam films: marginal regeneration and drainage
Liquid foams are materials whose mechanical and insulating properties are widely used in industry. However, their stability remains largely an open question. The properties of liquid foams are closely related to those of the foam films they contain. The films can thicken, disappear or appear when th
Thermodynamic investigations of mesoscopic 2D systems
Studies of electronic transport in GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gases (2 DEGs.) have resulted in great advances in our understanding of mesoscopic and correlated physics. In particular, the exploration of the quantum Hall regime (QHR) has shown itself very advantageous, with its abundant phy
Taming Nonlinearities in Turbulence
The transition toward a zero carbon society requires the reduction of our energy footprint. Friction losses due to turbulence are responsible for most of the energy spent to drive liquids through pipes. Thus, finding innovative ways to efficiently pump fluids is of crucial importance. We now know t
Förster energy transfer and collective photophysics in self-assembled colloidal quantum wells
A fundamental understanding of the coupling between nanoparticles is crucial for opto-electronic devices involving densely-packed semiconductor nanoparticles. We have developed the self-assembly of CdSe nanoplatelets chains which constitute an excellent model system. Our first fluorescence microscop
Extreme events in rotating and stratified turbulent flows
The main aim of this proposal is to implement a synergistic approach leveraging innovative High-Performance Computing techniques and observations to advance fundamental knowledge on the dynamics underlying the emergence of large scale extreme events and local instabilities in stratified and rotating
Effect of disorder on the failure of frictional interfaces
The onset of sliding of a frictional interface is due to a propagating rupture front, which breaks the contacts resisting to shear. The rupture is a brittle shear crack driven by singular fields and propagating within an effectively homogeneous medium. Indeed, a frictional interface is intrinsically
Origami and kirigami: Tailoring the behavior of flexible surfaces in flows
Engineering strategically uses compliant components in the design of structures exposed to flows, as those can change their shape and adapt to their surrounding fluid environment. While a flexible structure is more adaptable and versatile, it is also more difficult to control. We thus have to unders
Casimir forces in two dimensional materials
CAT is an international collaborative project aiming at investigating Casimir forces in two-dimensional materials, by combining the theoretical (France) and experimental (Hong Kong) expertise of the two teams involved. Casimir-Lifshitz forces refer to the interactions between electrically neutral bo
Deciphering coherence in attosecond photoionization
The DECAP project will study electronic coherence in photoionization, the physical process where matter absorbs a photon and frees a photoelectron on an ultrashort attosecond timescale. The coherence of the photoelectron is a unique witness of hidden interactions during photoionization. The DECAP pr
Fiber Transport and Clogging in Structured Media
The TransClog projet aims at investigating the migration and clogging of flexible fibers in structured media. The motion of pulp fibers in the papermaking process, the migration of parasites in mucus, and the dispersal of bacterial biofilm filaments in biological environments, happen in complex me
ANisotropy, ADhesion and plant SPIral growth.
In the 70's, the unicellular internode of acorticated characeae helped proving plant growth is pressure-driven and that growth and mechanical anisotropies are equal. The internode of the related corticated characeae is constituted by one giant cylindrical cell surounded by a layer of smaller elongat