Physics of Complex and Disordered Matter (SoftMat)

Fluids are all around us at all times and on every scale. Understanding fluid mechanics means understanding the mechanics of our surroundings—air and water, in particular. As such, hydrodynamics is part of a physicist’s basic knowledge.

The course “Hydrodynamics” provides an introduction to the mechanics of ideal incompressible fluids (Euler) and Newtonian viscous fluids (Navier-Stokes). Classical flow patterns are presented, along with the concepts of the boundary layer, instability, and turbulence. The focus is on physical concepts rather than on advanced mathematical or numerical solution methods.

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English tutorial course for students in the Master's 1 Physics program who are working toward professional proficiency in scientific English.

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This course is one of the cornerstones of modern physics. It provides a body of knowledge that is strictly necessary for all physics tracks, as it lays the groundwork for the theoretical description of the interaction between the electromagnetic field and elementary quantum systems such as two-level systems, atoms, and molecules. It also provides the knowledge necessary for understanding lasers, modern optical devices, and spectroscopic methods and analyses.

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The purpose of this module is to enable students to compare experimental results with their theoretical knowledge. Particular attention is given to writing up results and presenting them in the form of oral presentations. The work is organized into an eight-hour session for which the students choose a topic. They record their results and analyses in a lab notebook modeled after the protocols used in laboratories. At the end of the semester, students select a topic, which they develop into a final report that they defend orally. This course serves as preparation for the internships students will complete during their program.

Examples of available experiments: optical spectroscopy (IR, visible), gamma, X-ray, and acoustic spectroscopy; low-temperature photoluminescence; near-field spectroscopy (AFM, STM); electron microscopy...

The range of experiments offered covers the areas of physics taught in the various physics tracks. Students must choose from among these experiments those that best align with their interests. Significant effort is made to incorporate new data-acquisition technologies and the use of computer tools to compare experimental results with theory.

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Through two specific examples (X-ray diffraction and vibrations), this module shows in detail how the physical properties of a solid are modeled. The formalism will also be applied to finite systems, such as nanoparticles, and will remain valid for amorphous materials; however, special attention will be given to periodic systems (ranging from linear chains to protein crystals, including graphene and silicon). The concept of reciprocal lattice will naturally arise in connection with this periodicity.

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The course aims to provide a general introduction to cellular and molecular biology and to contextualize the use of modern physics—through its quantitative methods and approaches—to describe biological systems and their complexity, from the molecular scale to the cellular and tissue scales.

Another fundamental topic covered is the quantification of phenomena, their physical interpretation, and their physical-mathematical modeling. The course provides an introduction to the philosophy and the full range of topics in this master’s program, which focuses on the study of the physical principles underlying the organization and dynamics of living and complex matter.

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This course unit covers a review and in-depth exploration of programming techniques, as well as an introduction to computational physics. We will begin with a review of procedural programming using Python 3. We will then take an in-depth look at numerical methods relevant to physics, studying a selection of classical algorithms from numerical analysis and applying them to physics problems.

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Introduction to Advanced Statistical Physics: grand canonical ensemble; quantum statistics; quantum fluids (Bose-Einstein condensation, thermal radiation; Sommerfeld theory); phase transitions; Ising model; mean-field theory; dynamics of complex systems.

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Conducting a research project in an academic or industrial laboratory.

Dates: May–June

Duration: At least 7 weeks, extendable in July

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The mechanical and thermal properties of materials are central to many applications in the field of energy materials. Following an introduction to these various fields of application, this course unit aims to define the different concepts necessary for understanding both the mechanical and thermal properties of materials, focusing exclusively on “bulk” materials.

Hourly volumes*:

            CM: 11: 00 a.m.

            TD: 9: 00 a.m.

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This course introduces the concepts, fundamentals, and orders of magnitude in the physics and physical chemistry of interfaces that govern the mesoscopic scale of matter and ultimately determine the behavior and properties of everyday objects—such as soil, milk, cheese, paints, inks, cosmetics, adhesives, lubricants, and many other technological processes—as well as biological cells and membranes.

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Knowing how to collect and process data are essential skills in a scientific and/or technical professional setting. The objective of this course is to address, as effectively as possible, three types of standard professional skills:

· Advanced use of spreadsheets and graphing software (MS Excel, LO-CALC) for scientific and technical purposes

· Network interconnections: infrastructure, the TCP/IP protocol suite, security

· Introduction to relational databases (MS Access, LO-BASE) – concepts and terminology, creating queries, graphical reports, forms.

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One of the major challenges associated with the use of various materials in our daily lives is their durability—and, consequently, their degradation. In this course, we will address issues related to material durability (resources, reserves, material criticality, etc.) as well as methodologies for studying durability (types of surface/volume aging, temporal extrapolation, multiscale analysis, combination of effects, experimental representation, and industrial validation). This will then enable us to model the kinetics of aging using various models.

The various types of degradation affecting polymers will then be analyzed.

Finally, the aging of various types of materials will be illustrated through a number of real-world case studies (concrete, ceramics, metals, and elastomers).

Hours per week*: 11 hours CM:

                                    9:00 a.m. Tutorial

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Polymer physics—to which this course serves as an introduction—focuses on the physical properties of covalently bonded chain-like assemblies ranging from a few dozen to a few million elementary molecules: polymers or macromolecules.

These synthetic or natural molecules can be observed in the solid state, liquid state, in solution, in a colloidal state, or confined to an interface.

Their highly distinctive physical properties have led to the development of specific theoretical tools and the emergence of this new branch of physics with numerous applications.

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A literature review on a research topic related to the program and potentially connected to the topic of the Master’s 2 internship.

80 hours of independent study spread out over the first semester of the M2 program. Several project progress meetings will be scheduled with the expert advisors and the program’s scientific coordinators.

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English tutorial course for students in the Master 2 Physics program who are preparing for a career in an English-speaking professional environment in a contemporary context.

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This module gives students the opportunity to learn about the unique aspects of the professional world and to prepare to enter it under the best possible conditions, particularly through sharing experiences with professionals in the field. Students practice successfully completing the job application process in a systematic manner by thoroughly analyzing job postings, crafting targeted resumes and cover letters, and preparing for job interviews (through role-playing and simulations).

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This course provides a general introduction to 1) the physics and mechanics of granular media and 2) their modeling using discrete methods (DEM). The multiscale nature of a granular material is discussed, ranging from the microscopic scale (contact interactions) to the macroscopic scale (structural scale). A phenomenological description of macroscopic behavior as well as microscopic properties is discussed for the static, quasi-static, and flow states of granular media. Micromechanical models and scale-change approaches based on dimensionless analyses, averaged quantities, stress transmission, and the presence of anisotropies are introduced. The influence of particle properties and contact interactions on the microstructure is also discussed. Numerical approaches such as discrete methods (Discrete Element Methods, DEM), regular methods (Molecular Dynamics), and non-regular methods (Contact Dynamics) are presented. In particular, the Contact Dynamics method will be applied to simple examples using the LMGC90 computational code.

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This module aims to teach the operating principles of the main techniques used to characterize the structure (in volume and on the surface) and properties (optical, electronic, etc.) of condensed matter:

• X-ray and electron diffraction techniques
• optical spectroscopy techniques (absorption, reflection, luminescence)
• local probe microscopy

  This module aims to teach the operating principles of the main techniques used to characterize the structure (in volume and on the surface) and properties (optical, electronic, etc.) of condensed matter:

  • X-ray and electron diffraction techniques
  • optical spectroscopy techniques (absorption, reflection, luminescence)
  • local probe microscopy

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This course unit provides an introduction to the field of complex fluids and active matter, with applications in both the physical chemistry of soft matter and the physics of living systems and biological objects.

It is common to both the PhyMV and SoftMat tracks.

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Conducting a long-term research project (6 months) at an academic or industrial research laboratory.

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