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In analytical methods there is a strong demand for improvement for higher sensitivity, selectivity, and cheaper methods to serve society better. Such developments need to start with a better understanding of basic processes, fundamental technical changes, or exploiting new materials. The UltraSNO

The risks associated to the handling of hydrogen (H2) gas including both safety and potential climate impact (GHG) require providing continuous measurement of its concentration by reliable detection systems. The aim of the SexHy project is to develop novel metal-oxide (MO) based composite gas sensor

The spectral resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope has recently reached 5 meV, opening novel possibilities for probing vibrations in materials with unprecedented spatial resolution. Combining the development of in-situ THz injection with new th

Correlated Quantum Materials (CQM) encompasses a large variety of materials systems in which electronic correlations and/or topology yield exotic physics, such as unconventional superconductors, multiferroic compounds, with novel magnetic and electronic orders. Engineering such materials through art

Understanding the shear stress-driven cellular activities is crucial to develop innovative diagnoses, therapies, and medical devices. Because there exists no method to measure the rapidly varying shear stress (e.g. pulsatile blood flow) near cells, our knowledge of how flow regulates such a variety

In this project we aim at demonstrating a photonic-based signal analyzer (PSA) with THz frequency band for on-wafer measurement that will be capable of addressing the needs of emerging millimeter wave and THz devices and systems. It will be based on a micro-machined silicon micro-probe with an integ

Systematic measurements of ions are of great importance in a wide variety of applications ranging from pollution monitoring to food processing or medical treatment. Despite the existence of operational devices, the development of cheap, mobile and accurate devices allowing to measure various ions in

Monitoring the health of new devices and structures is a major industrial issue for system security, reliability and performance. Ultrasound inspection allows remote detection of damages based on the propagation of elastic waves and meets partly the constraints of SHM (Structural Health Monitoring).

The 2DTherm project tackles the ability to use Raman spectroscopy of two-dimensional materials to act as absolute nanoscale temperature probes for the development of power electronics on SiC and GaN. Indeed, current densities are such that local temperature can reach up to 350°C under certain operat

Light elements classified as critical metals are difficult to detect, analyze and even less to quantify directly by conventional analytical methods based on X-ray fluorescence (EMPA, EDS, µXRF). Direct quantification of these elements in individual mineral phases is rarely achieved and these methods

Sensing and analyzing extremely low physical, chemical or biological quantities in situ, within hard-to-reach environments, are rapidly growing demands. Though among the best components in terms of compactness for addressing this challenge, “Lab-on fiber” concept suffers from limited sensitivity per

France has currently an important research deficiency in the field of small force metrology. There is therefore a need for research and development so that French metrology can establish calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) below the value of 1 newton that it currently claims. Addressing

Many non-destructive evaluation methods use guided elastic waves to characterize a sample. Among them, laser ultrasound methods offer the advantage of a contactless measurement with excellent spatial resolution and large bandwidth. However, up to now, they are limited to materials with a high ablati

This project proposes to develop a new instrument based on resonant optical nanostructures allowing 1- to increase strongly the interactions between light and chiral molecules. 2- to reduce the detection volume of these molecules and 3- to increase the detection sensitivity with the ultimate goal to

Monocytes/macrophages are the first line of defense of the immune system and secrete various pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. This process of orchestrating the immune response is finely controlled to avoid overreaction and secondary damage induced by inflammation. Endotoxin tolerance is th

The development of gas sensors is a key to meeting the growing pressure of health, environmental and energy transition challenges. Despite the high economic and societal stakes, there is currently no generic technology that can measure the presence of volatile organic compounds in uncontrolled envir

In scanning near-field microscopies, such as scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) or near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), the imaging resolution is dictated by the size of the imaging tip, as opposed to far-field techniques whose resolution is given by the diffraction

For future particle detectors it will be necessary to integrate internal sub-detectors, which will allow the precise reconstruction of the trajectories of charged particles very close to the interaction point. In e+e- colliders (e.g. the ILC), we propose to simplify the proposed MAPS (Monolithic Ac

Mainly composed of fibrillar collagen, highly organized at different hierarchical scales, connective tissues (e.g. cartilage, skin, bone, arteries, cornea) provides structural scaffold to many organs and determine the micro-environment properties influencing cell adhesion and migration. Despite comm

The interrogation of isolated atoms with lasers allows for measuring physical constants with exquisite sensitivity and precision. Embedded in laboratory instruments such as atomic clocks and magnetometers, this technique has allowed reaching unprecedented performances, close to the fundamental limit

During the now ended ANR project FemtoTEM (2014-2019), the first Ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscope (UTEM) based on a laser-driven Cold-Field Emission Gun (CFEG) has been developed. This prototype was based on a 30 year-old TEM with limited functionalities. Nevertheless, it demonstrated the

COupling Ultraquickly and Ultrastrongly Plasmonic and Photonic modes for Largely Efficient Sensing (COUUPPLES). Optical sensors allow contactless interrogation and rely on the availability of numerous sources and detectors. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) are largely used as their localized surface plas

Asymmetry is a fundamental quality leading often to chirality. Though most amino-acids are L-enantiomers, D-amino acids (D-AA) are present in mammals and humans and involved in vital mechanisms from neuronal function to glucose homeostasis. Alterations in their levels have been linked to major chron

Dielectric materials are ubiquitous in microelectronic devices because of their ability to polarize. Ferroelectric materials, which exhibit high dielectric constant and spontaneous polarisation, are under intense investigation to improve the local capacitance or to create so-called negative capacita

Optical multimode fibers have become the subject of numerous investigations, in particular for applications in telecommunications and endoscopic imaging. Compared to fiber bundles or multicore fibers used in endoscopic imaging, they offer orders of magnitude higher information density, allowing us,

Membrane adhesion receptors and cytoskeleton are two key elements in cell biology mechanotransduction. The molecular machinery of mechanotransduction is a transversal hot topic that gives rise to intense activity in scientific theme mixing physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology. Our ability to

Electron microscopy and spectroscopy have made spectacular progress in recent years in terms of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. These advances have revolutionized fields ranging from biology to quantum optics. In this context, spectromicroscopies based on electrical energy loss spectr

To decipher the numerous complex brain functions, it is desirable to measure the electrical activity of large sets of neurons. However, there is currently no technique to image non-invasively this activity deep inside the brain (> 2 mm) with single-cell resolution (10um), high frame rate (> 10 Hz).

Replacing aluminum by carbon fiber composites (CFRP) in the aeronautic industry is a research effort towards sustainable aviation. But compared to aluminium, CFRP have lower thermal and electrical conductivities and so there is a larger risk of thermo-mechanical damage if lightning strikes occur. To

The TESLA project aims at the development of an ultra-sensitive (nT range), wireless and batteryless magnetic sensor based on Lamb waves for biomedical applications. The passive feature and the remote interrogation of the device will allow a continuous monitoring of the magnetic field and a comforta