This booklet gives a flavor of the different aspects of the engaging research environ­ment, and in particular the diversity and the novelty of some research pro­jects, signatures of the dynamism of the research atmosphere. This is only a partial selection of the research topics addressed in the Lab.
Several members of the Lab have been awarded distinctions and prizes:
D. Bartolo received the De Gennes prize, D. Le Tourneau the Palmes Aca­
démiques, L. Savary the F. Nevill Mott prize, while A. Bérut, R. Hamon, G. Michau were rewarded for their PhD. We present here their brief portraits.
The involvement of the Laboratory in teaching has been especially empha­sized by the success of the ENS student team in the International Physicists’ Tournament: the team, coached by N. Taberlet and N. Plihon and colleagues has won two successive French Championships and one World Title.
Another richness of the Laboratoire can be found in its numerous internatio­nal links exemplified by the creation during these two years of two Labora­toire International Associé, with Chile and Norway. Finally, the present issue also features STAPHYS26, the largest and most wide ranging conference in statistical mechanics which took place in Lyon in July 2016: almost all scientific fields of the lab have been represented during this week. It was awonderful success thanks to the involvement of the whole Lab at all levels.
The purpose of this document is also to present some examples of recent
scientific achievements within the laboratory to a wide audience. The Physics lab be­lieves that the origin of these results lies in the excellent quality of PhD students and post-docs, and the high level of expertise of technical staff members. These are a foundation of the stimulating atmosphere within the Laboratoire de Physique that drives research of the highest standard.

The illustrations in the booklet were made by Hélène Bléhaut, who spent two weeks in situ in order to report on the work and atmosphere of the Physics Laboratory.