PMN group||Physics of materials and nanostructures

The PMN Group (Physics of Materials and Nanostructures) brings together physicists and solid state and materials chemists. We have particular competance in the following approaches applied at the nanoscale

• optical and vibrational spectroscopy - AFM microscopy
• atomic scale modelling of physical properties
• transport and magnetotransport
• physical chemistry of confined environments and interfaces
• exploratory synthesis - nanostructure assembly

Our research activities are grouped around the three following themes:

• Nanostructures and nanocomposites: a central theme covering creation of nanostructures (nanowires, nanoparticles), their treatment (isolating individual nanoobjects, nanocomposites, ...), theoretical and experimental study of their structural and physical properties, and their eventual applications (carbon materials and conjugated polymers, confined ionic liquids, special artificial glasses, OLEDs, ...). We are also concerned with the development and utilisation of new analysis tools adapted to such systems.
  
  
• Interface: Physics, Materials and Biology: A theme devoted to the interface between physics/chemistry/biology, synthesising and studying complex hybrid nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes in combination with biomolecules such as polysaccarides, DNA, or proteins. Once again it is often necessary to develop new techniques and approaches suitably adapted to these problems.
  
  
• Advanced materials with non-conventional electronic properties: Synthesis and study of complex materials which possess remarkable electronic properties, such as, for example, metal-insulator transitions (resistive transition, Mott insulators and RRAM applications) induced by an electrical field.

Based around our core expertise, our tools include optical and vibrational spectroscopy (Raman Diffusion, FTIR), electrical transport measurements, atomic force microscopy, and computational modelling approaches (AIMPRO and SIESTA). We also develop new tools adapted for specific problems.

Our group was evaluated triple A+ by AERES. It is involved in many regional, national and European contracts, as well as various international collaborations at regional (Arclyn, Lemer PAX, ...), national (Hutchinson-Total, ST Microelectronics, RTE, Bolloré, Solvionic, ...) and international (Solvay, Sensotran, ...) level.

Much of our work is performed in collaboration with other groups within the IMN, including PCM (carbon materials, RRAM), CESES (photovoltaics, ...), ST2E (energy storage applications for new materials based on confined ionic liquids), MIOPS (nanoparticle synthesis for transparent p-type semiconductors, ...), ....

Alongside our research, members of the PMN are actively involved in teaching both physics and chemistry of materials and nanostructures at:

• The Science and Technology Faculty at Nantes University (Physics Department)
• The Ecole Polytechnique at Nantes University (Materials Department)
• The IUT at Nantes (Science and Application of Materials Department)
• as well at other institutions outside Nantes. Notably we are strongly involved in the M2 C'NANO Masters programme.