Institut NÉEL

Presentation

Implanted on an international scientific campus in the heart of the French Alps, the Néel Institute offers unique conditions for young scientists wishing to succeed in research, and to develop their talents at the highest level. With condensed matter physics as a major component of its activities, the Institute fosters cross-disciplinarity. It has considerable investment in the nanosciences and condensed matter physics, and strengths also in chemistry, engineering, earth sciences and research on heritage materials.

Situated on the "Science Peninsula" between Grenoble’s two rivers, the laboratory’s 19 research teams have access to exceptional in-house technological expertise, and benefit from a network of strong links with the CNRS, the University of Grenoble, the Grenoble-INP, the CEA, and the large European facilities: the Institut Laue Langevin and the European Synchrotron Research Facility.

• The Néel institute publishes more than 350 peer-reviewed scientific articles per year, 1/3 of them in the framework of collaborations involving 35 countries.
• While the Institute is dedicated to fundamental research, its many close links with industrial companies are a major asset.
   
   

*Louis Néel (1904-2000), Nobel Prize for Physics 1970, was the founder of Grenoble physics, with an impact well beyond this basic discipline. He brought new inventions and developed close partnerships with industry. He was the architect of a renowned science complex (CNRS, CEA, Universities), which made Grenoble the obvious site to receive the large European facilities, first the ILL and then the ESRF.

Structure of heterogeneous materials by diff raction tomography

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Towards a new generation of high Tc superconductor wires

Ideal electrical materials, superconductors off er considerable possibilities for energy applications. The high critical temperature superconductors, requiring only liquid nitrogen cooling, are being studied worldwide in view of such applications. The main eff ort at present is on epitaxially deposited YBaCuO materials.
Our consortium, involving the NEXANS Company, a world leader in electrical cables, is very well placed in this highly competitive fi eld. Following up on our previous work on 2nd generation fl at
tape conductors, we have invented a new concept of a round superconductor wire (patent Applications in 2008). The round geometry answers real wishes of the designers of superconducting
systems (“a YBCO round wire technology would be the Holy Grail”, J. Schwartz of the National High Field Magnet Laboratory, plenary address at MT20, Philadelphia, September 2008).

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