SFP Alpes

Birthday Party
2026-03-30 18:57 (Europe/Paris)
Why do you think that she is a witch? He hasn’t got stuff all over him. Well

Artificial Cells : myths & challenges - Manuel Théry
2025-04-04 17:00 | GreenER, Amphi Ampère, 21 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, FR, 38000, France
Résumé :
Making Life ! What a program ! Cells are the basic unit of life. Can we build a cell from scratch ?
Some call it a synthetic cell or an artificial cell, others, more cautiously, a minimal cell or a protocell. But what are we talking about ?
After a brief list of the various initiatives and strategies that have been officially undertaken in France, Europe and abroad, I will expose my personal way of thinking about it. This will force me to take position and define what life is from a chemical and physical point of view. I will try not to ignore the biological and evolutionary way of thinking about. This introduction will serve as a basis for discussing how to approach the goal of making a living cell and what the expectations might be. The core of the presentation will be around the presentation of few achievements in our lab and in others. Limits, bottlenecks and challenges will be discussed. Of course, looking to the future, we need to go back to where this should have started and discuss the goals of making such a cell: the real motivations and dangers of such a demiurgic project.

Staffan JACOB - Phenotypic plasticity and dispersal : towards their temporal dynamics and adaptiveness
2025-04-07 11:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Staffan Jacob (Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Moulis)

To cope with changes in their environment, organisms may modify their phenotype (i.e., phenotypic plasticity), or disperse elsewhere (i.e., dispersal plasticity), two strategies that are critically important for ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In this seminar, I will present recent work exploring the within- and among-species variability in phenotypic plasticity and dispersal, their interplay, and potential adaptiveness. I will particularly focus on the speed of plastic responses: iteratively measuring plastic traits should allow to describe the actual dynamics of phenotypic changes over time and avoid quantifying reaction norms at times that do not truly reflect the organism’s capacity for plasticity. Integrating the temporal component in how we describe, quantify, and conceptualize phenotypic plasticity can change our understanding of its diversity, evolution, and consequences.
Contact : salima.rafai@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Nanofluidics meets condensed-matter physics : challenges and perspectives at the Quantum Plumbing Lab
2025-04-08 10:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Nikita Kavokine (EPFL, Switzerland)

The hydrodynamic wall has traditionally been considered a featureless object, whose only role is to provide a boundary for the fluid flow. Yet, there is now ample evidence that at nanometer scales, fluid flows are sensitive to the wall’s internal degrees of freedom. Recently, we have developed a field theory formalism that captures the interaction between interfacial liquid flows and the wall’s electronic excitations, in the form of a phenomenon termed quantum friction. In this talk, I will show how quantum friction theory both sheds light on existing experiments, and predicts new couplings between liquid flows and electronic currents, with potential applications at the water-energy nexus. I will also highlight the many questions that it leaves unanswered, along with the experimental program that we are deploying to solve them at the Quantum Plumbing Lab.
Contact : romain.lhermerout@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

How AI can help us elucidate chemical reaction mechanisms ? / Comment l'IA peut nous aider à élucider les mécanismes des réactions chimiques ?
2025-04-24 14:00 - 15:00 | DCM, Salle de C209 Bât Chimie Recherche, St Martin d'Hères, France
Rolf DAVID (DCM, Equipe SiTH)

Développement d’inhibiteurs peptidiques du virus de la grippe
2025-05-05 14:00 - 17:00 | IBS, 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble
Benoît SEPARI (IRIG / IBS)

La grippe saisonnière cause la mort de centaines de milliers d’individus chaque année, tandis que les souches zoonotiques provoquent régulièrement de graves pandémies. Le haut taux de mutation du génome viral limite l’utilisation d’antiviraux ciblant directement influenza, il est donc nécessaire de développer de nouvelles molécules ciblant des mécanismes viraux ou cellulaires différents et ayant un faible potentiel de mutation. Les antiviraux dirigés contre l’hôte ne cible pas le virus mais plutôt des protéines de l’hôte nécessaires à la réplication du virus, ainsi, l’apparition de résistance est beaucoup moins probable. Nous avons donc développé des peptides qui bloquent l’assemblage d’un complexe protéique accessoire du spliceosome humain. Ce complexe est essentiel pour le prolifération du virus car il catalyse l’épissage des ARNs pré-messagers du segment NS en ARNm codant pour les protéines NS1 et NEP. Ce complexe protéique comprend les protéines RED et SMU1, interagissant directement avec la polymérase virale. La rupture de l’interaction entre RED et SMU1 inhibe l’épissage des pré-ARNm de NS, sans qu’aucun effet sur la viabilité cellulaire ne puisse être détecté. Des bibliothèques de 10^8 peptides différents ont été conçues, en étudiant la structure du complexe RED-SMU1 sauvage et en imitant un domaine de fixation naturel de RED. Les peptides les plus affins pour SMU1 ont été sélectionnés par phage display. Des peptides supplémentaires ont également été générés par une approche bioinformatique utilisant un neural network. Les peptides les plus prometteurs ont été caractérisés par ELISA et NGS, puis des méthodes biophysiques, structurales et cellulaires ont permis d’identifier des peptides ayant une affinité de l’ordre du nanomolaire pour SMU1 tout en présentant des motifs différents.​
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L’accès au campus EPN nécessite un avis de rendez-vous. Merci d’adresser votre demande à ibs.seminaires@ibs.fr au moins 48h à l’avance.
N’oubliez pas de vous munir d’une pièce d’identité.

Isotropic amorphous topological phases - Daniel VARJAS
2025-05-07 11:00 - 12:00 | LPMMC, CNRS - Bat G, salle Roger Maynard G-421, Grenoble
Résumé :
Topological phases of matter are distinguished by robust properties that are insensitive to perturbations. These include quantized responses, perfectly conducting interfaces, and exactly zero energy modes, with wide-ranging technological applications. Recent years saw the complete classification of topological band structures, revealing an abundance of topological crystalline insulators. Many questions about the robustness of these phases to disorder are, however, still open. We develop new theoretical and numerical methods based on local topological markers and effective momentum-space Hamiltonians to study topological phases in disordered systems. We introduce symmetry indicators for amorphous systems, and we also demonstrate that it is possible to construct a fully isotropic and inversion-symmetric three-dimensional medium where time-reversal symmetry is systematically broken. We propose an amorphous system with scalar time-reversal symmetry breaking, implemented by hopping through chiral magnetic clusters along the bonds. The average spatial symmetries alone protect a statistical topological insulator phase in this system, analogous to crystalline mirror Chern insulators. We also show the expected transport properties of a three-dimensional statistical topological insulator, which remains critical on the surface for odd values of the invariant.

Structure and transport in 2D-nanoconfined electrolytes - Damien TOQUER (ENS Paris)
2025-06-16 11:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Résumé :
Recent experimental advances in nanofluidics have enabled the exploration of ion transport across molecular-scale pores. Conductance and flow measurements show that electrostatic coupling between the ions and the confining walls plays a major role. Despite these advances, direct measurements of ionic behaviour in such small systems remain challenging. Numerical simulations and theoretical modelling help break down complex phenomena into simple physical ingredients.
I will first show that the electrostatic interactions between the ions are enhanced by the confinement of the electric field. As a result, the ions become strongly correlated over long distances. One consequence of these correlations is ionic pairing, which suppresses linear ionic conduction at low voltage drop, in accord with experiments in MoS2 nanochannels. This effect shows promising applications in the active domain of ionic memristors. [1]
I will then show that those strong correlations allow the emergence of collective charge fluctuations of the ions. Those fluctuation modes can couple with plasmonic modes in the solid, and directly affect the transport properties of the flow, in particular in systems with a strong physisorbed surface charge. This paves the way for smart tuning of liquid transport by solid engineering, with possible applications to ion separation and desalination technologies. [2]
[1] Damien Toquer, Lydéric Bocquet, Paul Robin; Ionic association and Wien effect in 2D confined electrolytes. J. Chem. Phys. 14 February 2025; 162 (6): 064703. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0241949
[2] Damien Toquer, Baptiste Coquinot, Nikita Kavokine, Lydéric Bocquet [In preparation]

SEMINAIRE DANIEL DAUTREPPE 2025 : Quantum Sciences & Technologies
2025-10-06 00:00 - 2025-10-08 23:59
Website : dautreppe2025.sciencesconf.org
Topics of this PhD training school on Quantum Sciences and Technologies.
Six expert lecturers have been chosen for their pedagogical skills.
Each lecturer will give a 3-hour class designed to take you from masters level to the cutting edge of research in a given topic.
Specifically :
– Quantum circuits and algorithms – Hui Khoon Ng (Yale-NUS, Singapore)
– Quantum cryptography – Ramona Wolf (University of Siegen, Germany)
– Superconducting circuits – Ioan Pop (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology [KIT] & Stuttgart University, Germany)
– Photonics – Julien Claudon (IRIG, CEA-Grenoble)
– Quantum sensing – Benjamin Pigeau (Inst. Néel, Université Grenoble Alpes & CNRS)
– Quantum matter – Cécile Repellin (LPMMC, Université Grenoble Alpes & CNRS)

This training school will be an excellent preparation to understand presentations and posters at QuantAlps Days 2025 (Grenoble 13-14 Oct 2025) and the annual workshop of the GDR-TeQ “Technology Quantique” (Grenoble Nov 2025 – date to be confirmed).
Target Audience : The school is for anyone doing a PhD in Quantum Sciences or Technologies in Grenoble (and it is open to others in the limit of available space).
History : This PhD training school is in the series called the Seminaires Dautreppe, that have been organized in Grenoble since 1969 by the Alpes section of the Société Française de Physique (each year on a different topic). This year it is being organized jointly with QuantAlps, on the theme of the Unesco’s “2025 International Year of Quantum Sciences and Technologies”.

The organizing committee of the Dautreppe PhD training school on Quantum Science & Technologies :
Joël Cibert (SFP Alpes) CNRS Institut Néel
Robert Whitney (SFP Alpes & QuantAlps) CNRS LPMMC
Anna Minguzzi (Director of QuantAlps) CNRS LPMMC
Frank Balestro (Director of QuantEdu) Professor Université Grenoble Alpes
Valentin Savin (QuantAlps) CEA Leti
Hermann Sellier (QuantAlps) CNRS Institut Néel
Alastair Abbott (QuantAlps) Inria Grenoble
Romain Maurand (QuantAlps) CEA PHELIQS
Clemens Winkelmann (QuantAlps) Grenoble-INP
Parinaz Tajabor (QuantAlps Project Manager) Université Grenoble Alpes

Jean CAPPELLO (Institut Lumière Matière, Lyon)
2026-01-26 11:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Transport of beads, bubbles and droplets in cylindrical microchannel : The role of inertia and deformations
Abstract :
When transported in microchannels at intermediate Reynolds number, beads, droplets or bubbles show interesting dynamics such as lateral migration. For rigid beads this migration is solely induced by inertial forces which lead to lateral motion of the particle until it reaches an equilibrium uncentered position in the microchannel. Transport of deformable objects as droplets or bubbles is even richer as the coupling between deformation and the external flow results in another lateral migration force whose orientation depends on the viscosity ratio of the two phases. I will present a study in which we investigate, both experimentally and numerically, the velocity and lateral position of beads, droplets and bubbles transported in a cylindrical pipe. By varying the object size, the viscosity ratio, the density, the Reynolds number and the capillary number, we offer an exhaustive parametric study exploring various dynamics from the non-deformable viscous regime to the deformable inertial regime, thus enabling us to highlight the sole and combined roles of inertia and capillary effects on lateral migration. Then, focusing on the specific case of bubbles, we further identify an intriguing regime at large deformations in which bubbles travel faster than the maximum velocity of the carrier flow. We rationalize this behavior in the limit of large bubbles and show that it originates from a reduction of the hydraulic resistance of the multiphase system. Finally, we determine the key parameters governing the onset of this “superfast” regime and demonstrate that it occurs only within a limited range of capillary and Reynolds numbers.
Contact : elise.lorenceau@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Juan FONTECILLA-CAMPS (IBS / Groupe Métalloprotéines)
2026-01-27 10:30 - 11:30 | IBS, 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble
Exaptation : la composante opportuniste de l’évolution et de la sélection naturelle
Résumé :
La variété et la capacité fonctionnelle des êtres vivants ont toujours intrigué les biologistes. Le philosophe grec Aristote était, il y a plus de 2300 ans, le premier à classifier les animaux selon la couleur de leur sang. Il croyait aussi que les mêmes animaux avaient existé, immuables, depuis une éternité. Il a fallu attendre le XIXe siècle pour que Charles Darwin explique l’évolution des espèces par la sélection naturelle. Cette évolution peut paraître linéaire et, pour certains, elle aurait un but (téléologie). Mais pour les évolutionnistes il n’y pas de plan ni de finalité. Un des résultats fondamentaux de la sélection naturelle est l’adaptation ; une fois qu’un organe est devenu utile, les mutations aléatoires qui améliorent sa fonction seront sélectionnées parce qu’elles sont avantageuses. Mais la sélection naturelle opère aussi de manière opportuniste, et un organe donné peut se transformer pour remplir une fonction complètement différente de celle d’origine ; c’est l’exaptation. Un cas classique est la transformation d’écailles de dinosaures en plumes d’oiseaux. Pendant mon séminaire je vais illustrer plusieurs cas d’exaptation biologique, et discuter aussi l’exaptation culturelle.
Contact : ibs.seminaires@ibs.fr

Nidia MALDONADO CARMONA (University of Florence, Italy)
2026-01-27 11:00 - 12:00 | IAB – Salle de séminaire, IAB Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, La Tronche, 38700, France
Bringing light to pathogens : light-driven strategies for disinfection of pathogens
Abstract :
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance has prompted the search for new strategies, aiming to find more efficient ways to kill microbial pathogens. In this sense, Photodynamic Antimicrobial ChemoTherapy (PACT) uses a combination of light, oxygen and a photosensitizer molecule to produce lethal reactive oxygen species, which have demonstrated to be highly effective against microorganisms and even against multiresistant microorganisms. During this talk, I will address the different challenges that surround the field, ranging from an efficient delivery of photosensitizers using natural biopolymers, while also addressing the delivery of light into a clinical scenario model, addressing the difficulties of biological experiments with
two-variables to juggle with, technical challenges that hinder the application of this technique into the clinic.
Contact : appaixfl@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Giovanni FINOCCHIO (University of Messina, Italy)
2026-01-28 11:00 - 12:00 | CEA – Salle de Séminaire IRIG (1005 – 445), Laboratoire Irig/Spintec, salle de séminaire 445, bâtiment 1005, CEA-Grenoble, Grenoble
Adaptive Ising Machines : a paradigm combining oscillatory dynamics and probabilistic sampling
Résumé :
The first part of the talk will focus on probabilistic computing which is one direction to implement Ising Machines with Probabilistic computing that is a computational paradigm using probabilistic bits (p-bits), unit in the middle between standard bit and q-bits. I will show how to map hard combinatorial optimization problems (Max-Sat, Max-Cut, etc) into Ising machine and how to implement those in spintronic technology. I will present new directions in this field considering the concept of extended probabilistic variables such as p-dit and p-int. I will then discuss oscillatory Ising Machines dynamics with the aim of introducing the concept of Adaptive Ising Machines. For doing that, first I will discuss the universal theory of phase auto-oscillators driven by a bi-harmonic signal (having frequency components close to single and double of the free-running oscillator frequency) with noise showing how deterministic phase locking and stochastic phase slips can be continuously tuned by varying the relative amplitudes and frequencies of the driving components. I will then focus on how to use spin-torque nano-oscillators for implementing deterministic, probabilistic computing and dual-mode operation of Adaptive Ising Machines that dynamically combines both regimes within the same hardware platform by properly tuning noise strength and a bi-harmonic excitation. Benchmarking on different classes of combinatorial optimization problems, the CoIM exhibits complementary performance as compared to OIMs and probabilistic Ising machines PIMs, with adaptability to the specific problem class. This work introduces the first oscillator-based Ising machine capable of transitioning between deterministic and probabilistic computation, opening a path toward scalable, CMOS-compatible hardware for hybrid optimization and inference. This work was supported under the project number 101070287 — SWAN-on-chip — HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01, the project PRIN 2020LWPKH7 funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research and by the PETASPIN association (www.petaspin.com) and it has been also funded by European Union (NextGeneration EU), through the MUR-PNRR project SAMOTHRACE (ECS00000022).
Contact : admin.spintec@cea.fr

Juan POLO (Technology Innovation Institute, Abu Dhabi)
2026-01-28 11:00 - 12:00 | LPMMC – salle Roger Maynard (G421), CNRS - LPMMC 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Static impurity in a mesoscopic system of SU(N) fermionic matter-wavesJuan POLO
Abstract :
We investigate the effects of a static impurity, modeled by a localized barrier, in a one-dimensional mesoscopic system comprised of strongly correlated repulsive SU(N)-symmetric fermions. For a mesoscopic sized ring under the effect of an artificial gauge field, we analyze the particle density and the current flowing through the impurity at varying interaction strength, barrier height and number of components. We find a non-monotonic behaviour of the persistent current, due to the competition between the screening of the impurity, quantum fluctuations, and the phenomenon of fractionalization, a signature trait of SU(N) fermionic matter-waves in mesoscopic ring potentials. This is also highlighted in the particle density at the impurity site. We show that the impurity opens a gap in the energy spectrum selectively, constrained by the total effective spin and interaction. Our findings hold significance for the fundamental understanding of the localized impurity problem and its potential applications for sensing and interferometry in quantum technology.
Contact : pierre.nataf@lpmmc.cnrs.fr

Félix PALM (Université Libre de Bruxelles)
2026-01-30 11:00 - 12:00 | LPMMC – salle Roger Maynard (G421), CNRS - LPMMC 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Quantum Hall states in optical lattices : Revealing hidden long-range
Abstract :
The study of interacting quantum Hall states and their exotic anyonic excitations poses a major challenge in current experimental and theoretical research. Quantum simulators, in particular cold atoms in optical lattices, provide a promising platform to realize, manipulate, and understand such systems with unprecedented control. In this talk, I will discuss how the local resolution of quantum gas microscopes extends the toolbox of quantum Hall physics. To this end, I will discuss a fundamental question regarding the topological order of quantum Hall states: the speculated condensation of composite bosons exhibiting quasi long-range order. I will exemplify this mechanism in bosonic [1] and fermionic [2] systems and touch upon its detectability in tensor network simulations and quantum gas microscopes. If time permits, I will also touch upon the interplay of spin and charge in fermionic quantum Hall states, resulting in ferromagnetism and skyrmionic spin-textures [2,3]. Again, I will present signatures to identify these states in cold-atom quantum simulators. References : [1] Pauw et al., Detecting Hidden Order in Fractional Chern Insulators; PRR 6 (2024) [2] Pauw et al., From hidden order to skyrmions: Quantum Hall states in an extended Hofstadter-Fermi-Hubbard model; arXiv:2509.12184 (2025) [3] Palm et al., Ferromagnetism and skyrmions in the Hofstadter–Fermi–Hubbard model; NJP 25 (2023) Contact : cecile.repellin@lpmmc.cnrs.fr

33e édition des olympiades de physique
2026-01-31 00:00 - 23:59 | St-Germain-en-Laye, iX campus
Ce concours scientifique expérimental destiné aux lycéens, permet à de petites équipes d’élèves de vivre pendant plusieurs mois une passionnante aventure scientifique autour d’un projet expérimental dont ils choisissent librement le sujet et dans lequel ils vont pouvoir laisser s’exprimer leur créativité et leur initiative.
Le samedi 31 janvier de 10h à 15h30, venez découvrir leurs travaux lors de l’exposition publique dans la Grande Verrière du Château Saint-Léger.
A l’issue de l’exposition publique, une conférence passionante « Des concepts aux applications : les deux révolutions quantiques » par Alain Aspect, prix Nobel de physique 2022, sera proposée dans le Grand Auditorium de 16h30 à 17h30.
Plus d’informations :
https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/billets-33e-edition-des-olympiades-de-physique-1977023995992?aff=oddtdtcreator
iX campus – 34 rue de la Croix de Fer – 78100 St-Germain-en-Laye (France)
Contact : emma.gosse@orange.fr

Sara MATYAS (CNRS Innovation)
2026-02-02 11:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Continuum des financements des projets de valorisation
Résumé :
Les financements de valorisation sont nombreux, chacun avec ses guichets, ses règles et ses critères… Et si on éclaircissait ce sujet ensemble ? À partir d’exemples concrets, nous parcourrons les différents chemins possibles pour valoriser un projet de recherche, depuis l’idée fondamentale jusqu’à sa valorisation. Vous verrez que la start‑up n’est qu’une option parmi d’autres. L’objectif : décoder clairement les informations essentielles à retenir pour chaque type de financement et comprendre la dynamique du continuum (Pré‑maturation CNRS, Pré‑maturation PUI, Maturation SATT, programme RISE, BTF Lab, Incubation, Transfert, Licensing…).
Contact : bahram.houchmandzadeh@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Mandar M. DESHMUKH (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India)
2026-02-03 14:00 - 15:00 | CNRS – Salle Rémy Lemaire (K223), CNRS - Institut Néel 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
2D van der Waals Josephson devices
Résumé :
I will discuss two classes of Josephson devices. First, proximitized graphene-based Josephson junctions that are gate tunable. The graphene Josephson FET enables a quantum-noise-limited parametric amplifier with performance comparable to the best discrete amplifiers in this class [1]. One can realize extremely sensitive and fast bolometers [2] – useful for dark matter search, among other applications. Second, twisted van der Waals heterostructures based on the high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 et δ enable the realization of a high-temperature Josephson diode [3] for the first time. Such Josephson diodes offer an opportunity to realize new devices at liquid nitrogen temperatures. While opportunities abound with vdW JJs, the challenge of scalability must be overcome to translate them into real-world devices.
References :
[1] « Quantum-noise-limited microwave amplification using a graphene Josephson junction » Joydip Sarkar et al. , Nature Nanotechnology 17, 1147 (2022).
[2] “ Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer,” Sarkar et al. , Nature Communications volume 16, 7043 (2025).
[3] « High-temperature Josephson diode, » Sanat Ghosh et al. Nature Materials 23, 612 (2024).

Contact : equipe-seminaires-nano@listes.grenoble.cnrs.fr

W. John KAO (Président de l’Université NTHU de Taïwan)
2026-02-03 17:00 - 18:30 | Grenoble INP – Auditorium, UGA, parvis Louis Néel, 38000 Grenoble, Grenoble, 38000, France
Geopolitical and strategic challenges in the semiconductor sector comparative perspectives from NTHU and UGA
Les semi-conducteurs sont aujourd’hui au cœur de la transformation numérique et industrielle mondiale, soulevant des défis majeurs de souveraineté technologique, de compétitivité économique et de sécurité stratégique. Taïwan occupe dans ce contexte une place absolument centrale, tant par son excellence industrielle que par la densité de ses écosystèmes de recherche, de formation et d’innovation, au premier rang desquels figure Hsinchu, véritable épicentre taïwanais des semi-conducteurs. De son côté, Grenoble Alpes, véritable hub de la microélectronique et silicon valley européenne, concentre près d’un quart des emplois français de la filière et abrite de nombreux laboratoires de pointe, soulignant son rôle stratégique à différentes échelles. La présence du Professeur Kao, Président de la NTHU – université de référence mondiale dans ce domaine – apporte un éclairage unique et de tout premier plan sur ces enjeux majeurs.
Cette conférence, d’une durée d’une heure et en langue anglaise, sera animée par la maîtresse de cérémonie, Dr Pauline Ravinet, attachée scientifique et universitaire à l’Office français à Taipei. Elle comprendra une brève présentation de la part de W. John Kao, suivie d’un échange avec Yassine Lakhnech, Président de l’UGA, puis d’une session de questions-réponses avec le public.
Gratuit, sur Réservation
Contact : lou.boucard-pra@unvi-grenoble-alpes.fr

Claude RACINET (Académie Delphinale/RHEOP)
2026-02-05 08:00 - 10:00 | CHU – Salle Gilbert Faure, CHU Grenoble Alpes Pavillon Vercors (côté Belledonne), La Tronche, 38043, France
Nous sommes tous des prématurés
Intervention de Claude RACINET de l’Académie Delphinale et du Registre des Handicaps de l’Enfant et Observatoire Périnatal de l’Isère et de la Savoie (RHEOP).

Contact : sante-communication@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Flavien MUSEUR (PSI / ETH Zurich)
2026-02-05 14:00 - 15:00 | CNRS – Salle Rémy Lemaire (K223), CNRS - Institut Néel 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Artificial spin ice on the CaVO lattice : a bridge from square to kagome
Résumé :
Artificial spin ices are arrangements of dipolar-coupled nanomagnets, with magnetic moments that behave like Ising spins as a result of shape anisotropy. They have been successfully implemented as platforms for imaging and controlling phase transitions in systems with long-range interactions [1]. However, the exploration of thermally-activated phase transitions has been mostly focused on two lattices: the square and the kagome. Artificial square ice orders readily into an antiferromagnetic, two-in/two-out ground state, with a transition belonging to the Ising 2D universality class [2]. In contrast, artificial kagome ice is highly frustrated and the predicted phase diagram is richer [3, 4]. Upon lowering the temperature, the system first experiences a crossover from a paramagnetic to a spin liquid state with no long range order, then transitions into a Coulomb phase with charge crystallization. This is an example of magnetic moment fragmentation [5, 6], in which each magnetic moment can be decomposed into the sum of a long-range ordered, divergence-full fragment and a fluctuating, divergence-free fragment which can be elegantly mapped to a dimer model.
We have carried out a comprehensive characterization of the thermodynamics of an artificial spin ice based on the CaVO (also called the square-octagon) lattice, part of the family of Archimedean lattices [7]. We show that the magnetic interactions on the vertex level can be significantly tuned by changing the relative sizes of square and octagonal plaquettes, while preserving the lattice constant and symmetries. This results in a complex phase diagram, with two very different ground states and ordering processes separated by a multicritical region. Each bears strong similarities with either the square or kagome phenomenologies. We map out this phase diagram with Monte-Carlo simulations and magnetic force microscopy of as-grown configurations. Different spin liquid states can be observed, as well as moment fragmentation for some geometries. Finally, we perform temperature and field-dependant magnetometry measurements on a series of lattice geometries, making it possible to detect thermally-active correlated phases without using large-scale instrumentation. Our work paves the way for engineering exotic magnetic properties at the mesoscale. By tuning frustration within a single lattice geometry, we can design artificial systems that exhibit spin liquid and multicritical behaviours – something that, in natural magnetic systems, typically requires extremes of either pressure, field or temperature.

S. H. Skjærvø et al., Nature Reviews Physics 2, 13–28 (2019).
O. Sendetskyi et al., Physical Review B 99, 214430 (2019).
G. Möller and R. Moessner, Physical Review B 80, 140409 (2009).
G.-W. Chern et al., Physical Review Letters 106, 207202 (2011).
M. E. Brooks-Bartlett et al., Physical Review X 4, 011007 (2014).
B. Canals et al., Nature Communications 7, 11446 (2016).
O. A. Starykh et al., Physical Review Letters 77, 2558–2561 (1996).

Contact : elsa.lhotel@neel.cnrs.fr

Doru C. LUPASCU (Institute for Materials Science and CENIDE - Faculty of Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen)
2026-02-06 10:30 - 12:30 | ILL – Salle de Séminaire (110-111), ILL 50 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Hyperfine Interactions as a Probe in Solids : The Example of a Multiferroic System : Bismuth Ferrite
Hyperfine interactions denote the coupling of the wave functions of nuclear states to the electronic shell of the atom. This coupling is a correction term to the energy of a nuclear state and equally so in reverse manner for the electronic shell of the atom.
Like nuclear magnetic resonance or Mössbaer spectroscopy, the nuclear perturbed gamma-gamma-angular correlation spectroscopy (PAC) investigates this energetic modification of the nuclear state. For sufficiently high nuclear spin value, magnetic interactions as well as quadrupole interactions become accessible. The beauty of the method is its highly local character in the crystal lattice. It directly monitors fields at a particular lattice or defect site. Similar is true for molecules.
Bismuth ferrite is a perovskite crystal exhibiting magnetic and electric ordering phenomena. It is antiferromagnetic and a very good ferroelectric. We used several probe atoms that offer suitable nuclear gamma-gamma cascades to understand these two ordering phenomena in the identical crystal and their coupling. Different from the long term belief, we proved that there is no magnetoelectric coupling in this crystal.
The presentation will introduce the measurement method, and the material system and display how it can be used to investigate solids in a very local manner.
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Hanno Filter (College 3 Secretary)
External visitors may ask for a site access to tellier(at)ill.fr
Zoom link : https://ill.zoom.us/j/98964195699?pwd=[REDACTED] – Password : [REDACTED]

David SKURNIK (Hôpital Necker- Enfants Malades, Université Paris Cité)
2026-02-06 11:00 - 12:00 | IBS – Salle des séminaires, IBS 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
New approaches in vaccine development
Résumé :
High-throughput sequencing and particularly original applications such as the TnSeq allow a study of host-pathogen interaction at the full genome scale through a systematic analysis off all the virulence factors of a bacteria in a particular setting. For example, all the genes important or essential for GI tract colonization of the selected pathogenic bacteria.
This allows to reveal new targets for vaccine development. Interestingly, an ongoing adaptation of the TnSeq allows the systematic identification of these antigens of interest. We call this new technology : TnVaccine.
Contact : ibs.seminaires@ibs.fr

William FAUGNO (LKB / Collège de France)
2026-02-06 11:00 - 12:00 | LPMMC – salle Roger Maynard (G421), CNRS - LPMMC 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Quantum Many-Body Scars in the Presence of Density-Difference-Dependent Hopping
Résumé :
It has been observed that isolated quantum systems often still produce measured values consistent with thermalization. This is unexpected due to the lack of a notion of chaos or ergodicity and the unitary dynamics of the quantum theory which is at its core linear. The conditions under which we can expect isolated quantum systems to thermalize were laid out in the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), which has generally been found to hold in a variety of systems. Still, notable violations of the ETH have been identified where a seemingly chaotic many-body quantum system exhibits some nonthermal behavior. In this talk, I will introduce the concept of quantum many-body scars (QMBS), a phenomenon in which a small subset of eigenstates violates the ETH and promote nonthermal dynamics. I will then present theoretical results on a bosonic Hamiltonian with a density-dependent hopping and describe two distinct mechanisms for scar formation that arise in this model. These mechanisms provide insight into the conditions under which QMBS can be expected to occur.
Contact : serge.florens@neel.cnrs.fr

Kei YAMAMOTO (Advanced Science Research Center, Japan)
2026-02-06 11:00 - 12:00 | CEA – Salle de Séminaire IRIG (1005 – 445), Laboratoire Irig/Spintec, salle de séminaire 445, bâtiment 1005, CEA-Grenoble, Grenoble
Spin-wave spectrum in a ferromagnetic disk
Abstract :
Angular momentum transfer in all forms contributes to the loss of information carried by dynamical spin polarisations and constitutes an important fundamental problem in spintronics. In this talk, we present a detailed microwave spectrum measurement of magnetic excitations in an Yttrium Iron Garnet disk, and how one can make sense of the multitudes of spectral lines and their magnetic field dependence theoretically. We explain how the axial symmetry of the setup leads to labelling of modes in terms of the conserved total angular momentum of the spin waves, The frequency spectrum in the saturated state is compared to analytical solutions for pure exchange as well as pure dipolar models under certain limits where different types of spectral degeneracy occur. The experimental result shows splittings of those degenerate modes, and we discuss possible interpretations in relation to angular momentum transfer between its different forms.
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More information :https://www.spintec.fr/seminar-spin-wave-spectrum-in-a-ferromagnetic-disk/​​​
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Visioconference :https://univ-grenoble-alpes-fr.zoom.us/j/98769867024?pwd=[REDACTED]​​

Isidora ARAYA DAY (DIPC San Sebastian)
2026-02-09 11:00 - 12:00 | LPMMC – salle Roger Maynard (G421), CNRS - LPMMC 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
Diagnosing higher order topological phases with electronic transport
Résumé :
Unlike a quantum Hall bar, a higher-order topological insulator may not have edge modes that conduct, but localized corner modes. These corner modes are robust to disorder and their appearance is diagnosed by a topological invariant that takes both onsite and spatial symmetries. In this talk, I will introduce a scattering theory for detecting higher-order topological phases only from a sample’s Fermi level properties, and will demonstrate how to apply it to different models. This theory provides an alternative approach for proving bulk–edge correspondence in intrinsic higher order topological phases, especially in presence of disorder, and it relies on the spectral flow that these phases show in the presence of magnetic flux.
Contact : serge.florens@neel.cnrs.fr

Stéphanie ROCCIA (LPSC-CNRS/UGA, Grenoble)
2026-02-10 10:30 - 11:30 | ILL – Salle de Séminaire (110-111), ILL 50 71 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38042, France
The search for neutron electric dipole moment at PSI
Résumé :
The Universe and its history are simultaneously very well understood and still a big mystery. We have amazing tools from satellites to
observatories to weight the universe over its history. But the components of the Universe can simply not yet be explained by physicists. To get the full picture, we need to identify and understand the interactions at play throughout the life of the Universe. This is the meeting point between particle physics and cosmology. At this meeting point stands the neutron, a common particle that we can uniquely use in high precision experiments.
I will present how experiments searching for a permanent electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) aim at discovering new sources of CP violation beyond the Standard Model of particle physics and understanding the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe. The quest for the neutron electric dipole moment started more than sixty years ago. In recent experiments, polarized ultra-cold neutrons are stored in material bottles.
I will present the ongoing efforts at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland where the n2EDM spectrometer has taken the first “physics data” in 2025. A large fraction of this dataset is dedicated to measurements of the UCN spectrum. I will present the newest UCN spectroscopy techniques that were recently published and the reasons for the importance of a deep understanding of the UCN spectrum.
—
Hanno Filter (College 3 Secretary)
External visitors may ask for a site access to tellier(at)ill.fr
Zoom link : https://ill.zoom.us/j/98964195699?pwd=[REDACTED] – Password : [REDACTED]

Delphine ROPERS (Inria – Grenoble)
2026-02-12 13:00 - 14:00 | IMAG – Salle de Réunion, 150 place du Torrent, St Martin d’Hères, 38400, France
Computational analyses of bacterial mRNA decay

Plus d’informations : https://bi-gre.github.io/
Contact : lucie.lamothe@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Youngsuk KIM (Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea (visiting scientist @ DCM))
2026-02-12 14:00 - 15:00 | DCM – Salle C209, DCM - Bât Chimie Recherche 301 rue de la Chimie, St Martin d'Hères, 38400, France
Carbene–CS2 : Redox-active Radical Ligands
Contact : david.martin@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Roxane LESTINI & Nicolas OLIVIER (Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Palaiseau)
2026-02-16 11:00 - 12:00 | LiPhy, Salle de Conférence, 140 rue de la Physique, St Martin d'Hères, 38400
Understanding DNA replication dynamics in the archaea Haloferax volcanii
Résumé :
Archaea provide a simplified yet highly informative model for deciphering the complex regulatory networks governing DNA replication and origin firing. Among them, Haloferax volcanii has a circular chromosome with four active replication origins distributed across a 3.5 Mb DNA molecule and exhibit some distinctive properties, such as a heterogeneous polyploidy, carrying 10–18 copies of its genome.
How these highly polyploid organisms regulate the activation and timing of their multiple replication origins in coordination with cell growth and division remains an open question. To address this question, we developed a multiscale approach, implementing the STORM technique in archaea for the first time, Marker Frequency Analysis by sequencing (MFA-seq) to capture the global replication profile at the population level, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to explore ploidy variation.
Our findings reveal, with an unprecedented resolution of ~30 nm, new insights into the spatial regulation of replication foci, demonstrating their organization into clusters. We further investigated DNA replication dynamics under varying growth conditions, revealing a reduction in replication foci number that correlates with decreased replication rates and DNA content. By contrast, altering the replication initiation mode—by inactivating all four replication origins—does not disrupt the overall replication dynamics.
By integrating these techniques, we aim to characterize the replication program in H. volcanii and gain a deeper understanding of its regulation.
Contact : delphine.debarre@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
