Controlling and detecting individual spins in solids is interesting for high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy and quantum computing. I will present a new set of methods that we have recently developed to do so, at millikelvin temperatures. The key idea is to count the microwave photons that an electron spin emits after excitation, in complete analogy with optical fluorescence [1]. The spin radiative rate is enhanced via the spin Purcell effect, by coupling the spins to an on-chip planar superconducting microwave resonator [2]. Microwave photon counting is performed using a detector that we have developed and which is based on a superconducting transmon qubit [3]. We detect individual Er3+ spins in a CaWO4 crystal [4]. Using an electron spin, we sense individual 183W nuclear spins. We achieve nuclear spin readout, polarization, and coherent control [5]. The nuclear spins have seconds-long coherence times. We also develop new control methods based on stimulated Raman microwave drives. Using an Er3+ spin strongly coupled to two 183W spins, we demonstrate a two-nuclear-spin-qubit gate, and generate an entangled state with second-long lifetime [6]. [1] Albertinale et al., Nature 600, 434 (2021) [2] Bienfait et al., Nature 531, 74 (2016) [3] Balembois et al., PRApplied 21, 014043 (2024) [4] Wang et al., Nature 619, 276 (2023) [5] Travesedo et al., arXiv:2408.14282 [6] O'Sullivan et al., arxiv:24LF.LF432

Granular materials can be defined as large assemblies of macroscopic particles (i.e. the grains). When external energy is applied to these systems, they can reach a non-equilibrium steady state (NESS), where the statistical properties of the dynamics remain constant, but the time reversal symmetry is broken by forcing and dissipative mechanisms. The main idea of my talk will be to show how granular materials subjected to mechanical vibration can realise NESSs where equilibrium-like and nonequilibrium phenomena are deeply intertwined. First, I will report on our experimental study of the self-assembly processes of binary mixtures of grains vibrated on a substrate. Starting from a disordered configuration, and depending on the size ratio and number proportions of the two grain species, we observed the spontaneous self-assembly of quasi-crystalline structures [1] and periodic square crystals [2]. Remarkably, this follows predictions from the equilibrium phase diagram of a hard disk model following conservative dynamics. We have also obtained experimental conditions that realise a stable coexistence between the square crystal phase and a granular amorphous fluid. Using numerical simulations, we showed that the observed phenomenology resembles that of a first-order equilibrium phase transition, but with the two phases coexisting at different effective temperatures, which is a striking nonequilibrium effect. Unexpectedly, the denser crystalline phase is hotter than the less dense liquid phase. Through qualitative arguments and supported by kinetic theory, we elucidate the role of the coupling between local structure and energy transfer mechanisms in maintaining kinetic temperature gradients across the fluid-crystalline interface. In the last part of my talk I will discuss how, by changing the external driving parameters and considering dilute monodisperse systems, our setup can also be used as a playground for the study of absorbing phase transitions and hyperuniform fluids. I will summarise theoretical and numerical results [3,4] and present some preliminary experimental attempts. [1]: A. Plati, R. Maire, E. Fayen, F. Boulogne, F. Restagno, F. Smallenburg, and G. Foffi, Nat. Phys. 20, 465–471 (2024) [2]: Self-assembly and non-equilibrium phase coexistence in a binary granular mixture arXiv:24LF.21576 [3]: R. Maire, A. Plati, M. Stockinger, E. Trizac, F. Smallenburg, G. Foffi, Phys. Rev. Lett. CR2, 238202 (2024) [4]: R. Maire, A. Plati, J. Chem. Phys. 161, 054902 (2024)

Cette soutenance résumera mes recherches menées en optique, en électromagnétisme et en optique quantique. L’idée générale est le développement une théorie décrivant les propriétés optiques de matériaux, composites à l’échelle macroscopique et baptisés "métamatériaux", enrichis en structures quantiques (par ex. boites quantiques ou des défauts ponctuels luminescents). Le but final de ces investigations est l’obtention d’équations effectives pour décrire le comportement global de ces systèmes. Nous porterons une attention particulière à la notion "d'indépendance avec le choix de la jauge" des résultats finaux. Cette soutenance se terminera avec une ouverture sur l'apport de ces théories effectives pour décrire le comportement d'une catégorie de réseaux de neurones baptisée "calcul par réservoir". Le jury sera composé de: Agnès Maurel, Institut Langevin Frédéric Zolla, Institut Fresnel Rodolfo Jalabert, Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg Henri Bénisty, Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique GS Frédéric Piéchon, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides Christophe Chaubet, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb Didier Felbacq, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb

Upon approaching a magnet, any nonmagnetic material feels a force. This force finds its origin in the spin and charge (orbital) motions of the electrons of the materials under the influence of the magnet field. For most materials this force is attractive because it is dominated by the spin magnetic susceptibility which is always paramagnetic. When the force appears repulsive the material is said to be diamagnetic and its magnetic response is then determined by the orbital motion of electrons. A well known example of diamagnetic material is water. In this talk I will review the microscopic theory of "diamagnetism" encoded by the orbital magnetic susceptibility of electrons in metals and insulators. First, I will remind why orbital magnetism is a genuine quantum effect related to the quantum motion of a charge in magnetic field. I will then show how the early theory of Landau and Peierls succeeds in describing the orbital response of single band metals but fail in describing multiband systems. Then I will present our work highlighting the key role of interband effects encoded in the quantum geometry of Bloch states (Berry curvature and quantum metric) in order to correctly describe the orbital magnetic susceptibility of multiband systems metal and insulators.

Computational modeling techniques have become a powerful tool to interpret and predict the properties of matter at different scales. After briefly summarizing my experience with some of these techniques, I will present recent collaborative studies with several L2C teams on atomistic modeling of materials and biomolecules at the quantum and classical level. This includes results unveiling the mechanism of adsorption of polar anions on carbonaceous nanostructures [1], and the origin of different anomalies associated with amorphous-amorphous transitions in SiO2 glasses [2] and in supercooled, supercritical and glassy water [3]. We have been applying also combined quantum-classical methods such as QM/MM to capture the crucial quantum interactions that affect the properties of matter. In particular, we are implementing this hybrid technique for the study of small biomolecules in water, for their interactions with carbon nanotubes and protein complexes in order to help improving medical therapies. I will conclude by discussing some future prospects of AI tools for atomic structure optimization and multiscale modeling. The latter is a promising field that seeks to elucidate how the atomic scale influences the properties of matter at larger scales. [1] A. H., L. Rincón, A. Noury, F. Henn & V. Jourdain. “Physical interactions tune the chemisorption of polar anions on carbon nanostructures”. J. Phys. Chem. C 126, CR349-CR357 (2022). [2] A. H., S. Ispas & B. Hehlen. “Percolation transitions in compressed SiO2 glasses”. Nature 599, pp. 63-66 (2021). [3] A. H., B. Hehlen & R. Paredes. “Unravelling water anomalies using a percolation approach”. https://doi.org/LF.21203/rs.3.rs-5235414/v1 (submitted).

La région Méditerranéenne subit des évènements extrêmes qui ont de forts impacts, comme la sécheresse de 2022 ou encore les récentes inondations en Lybie en 2023 et à Valence en 2024. Dans un contexte de changement climatique, la méditerranée est une région du monde qui se réchauffe un peu plus rapidement que la moyenne globale, donc particulièrement vulnérable à ces changements. Cet exposé vise à faire le bilan des connaissances sur les impacts du changement climatique sur les extrêmes hydrologiques, pluies intenses, crues et sécheresses, ainsi qu’à présenter les impacts attendus dans le futur selon les différents scénarios d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre.

Understanding the functional architecture of the genome and its dynamics is one of the great challenges of systems biology. The three-dimensional arrangement in the cell nucleus of the protein-DNA assembly that makes up chromosomes appears to be crucial for the regulation of gene expression, and loop formation has recently emerged as a key regulatory mechanism. Rapid advances in experimental techniques now make it possible to directly explore these complex structures by imaging the spatial arrangement of sequential sites. From a modeling point of view, while polymer physics is a fundamental modeling ground, increasingly sophisticated analysis tools are becoming necessary to explore the data efficiently. I will present original approaches based on spectral analysis that have enabled us to better describe the organization of polymers, and to develop a method for identifying loops in chromatin.