MATTER AND COMPLEXITY
We develop a wide range of studies in the field of Soft Matter Physics, combining experimental work with theory and numerical simulations. Our research interests have essentially focused on the physical properties of a large variety of soft materials, such as liquid crystals, melted polymers, elastomers, emulsions, gels, foams, granular and biological systems.
In order to understand and establish links between the microscopic structures of such materials and their macroscopic physical properties (as for instance aging, flow, resistance to rupture), we combine experimental and theoretical tools used in many different fields of physics and engineering (optics, acoustics, non-linear and statistical physics). Thanks to the development of model systems and state-of-the-art instrumentation, we apply those tools on a wide range of scales: from the nano/microscopic constituents, through the coarse-grained mesoscopic level, and up to the macroscopic scale of the systems considered. This multi-scale approach constitutes the cornerstone of our work: from the nano-mechanics of viruses, to the design of self-assembled structures, and the deformation, fluidization up to the failure of both brittle and ductile heterogeneous materials. Finally, we want to underline that a strong effort is placed on bridging the gap between fundamental studies and real-world applications, witnessed by various active industrial collaborations.