As a low-temperature physicist, the core of my past and present activities concerns the physics of Helium. Over the years, I have studied the roughening transition of solid Helium 4, the properties of highly spin-polarized liquid Helium 3, atomization processes in liquid helium, and phase transitions of Helium 4 confined in porous media. The common feature of these studies is that they use Helium as a model system for different general physical problems, in fields ranging from statistical and quantum physics to hydrodynamics and soft matter.
Present and past research topics
Condensation and Evaporation of Fluids in Nanoporous Materials (aerogels, porous glasses, nanoporous membranes)
Diphasic flows of Helium 4
Probing and Modifying Protein Transport using Optical Means
Thermodynamics and Transport in Spin-Polarized Liquid Helium 3
Spin-polarized Helium 3 Gas for Lung Imaging
Light Propagation in Disordered Media : Coherent Backscattering and Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy
Roughening Transition of Helium 4 Crystals
Hydrodynamics of Normal and Superfluid Helium 4
Scientific coordinator of the ANR project CavConf (2017-2022)
Collaborative project “Cavitation in Confinement”
With LPENS Paris (E. Rolley,) INSP Paris (A. Grosman, I. Trimaille, M. Bossert), and IMCN, Orléans (J. Puibasset)
Scientific coordinator of the ANR project Hevepor (BLAN006, 2006-2008)
Collaborative project “Hélium dans les verres poreux” (“Helium in Porous Glasses”)
With LPTMC Paris (E. Kierlik, M.L. Rosinberg) and Institut Charles Coulomb, Montpellier (formerly LMV) F.Despetis
Past and present affilations 1980-1985 CNRS (Groupe de Physique des Solides de l'ENS, Paris)
1985-2007 CNRS (Centre de Recherche sur les Très Basses Températures, Grenoble)
1994-1995 CNRS Sabbatical at Princeton University (S. Leibler, Department of Molecular Biology)
2007-now CNRS (Institut Néel, Grenoble)
2008-2010 : CoNRS (Comité National du CNRS), section 3 2011-2015: Deputy director of Institut Néel, director of the Condensed Matter and Low Temperatures department
2011-present : Co-chair of the "Cryogenics" Alliance of Labex LANEF
2016-present : Board of Ecole Doctorale de Physique Grenoble
1976-1980 | Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris |
1979 |
Thèse de 3ème Cycle (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI), Groupe de Physique des Solides de l’ENS, La transition laminaire – turbulent dans l’écoulement de Couette de l’hélium, Superviser : Bernard PERRIN |
1980 |
Agrégation de Sciences Physiques |
1985 |
Thèse d’Etat (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI), Groupe de Physique des Solides de l’ENS, La surface des cristaux d’hélium 4 : équilibre, croissance, et transitions rugueuses, Superviser : Sébastien BALIBAR |
Department: MCBT
Team: Helium : from fundamental to applications (HELFA)
Status: Personnel Chercheur
Structure: CNRS
Position: Permanent