Discovery of “topological states of quantum matter” in the ILL Collège de Théorie, 1977-81

• Duncan Haldane

Spacio-temporal patterns of a dynamical phase transformation to the excitonic insulator state.

• Natasha Kirova

Diffusive Phase transformations in alloys, beyond classical nucleation theory”

• Yves Bréchet

Prof. Yves Bréchet

Non-traditional phase transitions in liquid crystals

• Efim Kats

Borrowed from textbooks on thermodynamics and statistical physics wisdom gives a classification of phase transitions into two types: continuous or second-order phase transitions, where the latent heat is zero, and the 1-st order phase transitions, where it is not zero. In some more advanced modern textbooks and monographs referred to another standing alone (and in the world of two-dimensional systems) Berezinskii - Kosterlitz - Thouless transitions having some features of the 1-st and 2-nd order transitions. In this work one example from the realm of liquid crystals (smectic A - Hexatic smectic phase transition) of non-traditional thermodynamic behavior is discussed. We propose and theoretically describe mechanisms for such non-conventional behavior, and new predictions following from the consideration.

A new problem in biophysics: How to reroute a cell signaling pathway

• Bertrand Fourcade

Supersolidity in ultracold atomic gases

• Sandro Stringari

Discussing physics with Philippe : Polarized 3He, the liquid-solid interface of 4He and the question of the interfacial mass.

• Bernard Castaing

Understanding the BCS to BEC crossover in granular superconductors: a tribute to Philippe Nozieres.

• Guy Deutscher

Beyond X-Rays absorption experiments

• Yves Petroff

My first contact with Philippe Nozières dates back to 1964. At the time, I was doing my thesis at the ENS Laboratory in Paris and I went to ask him questions about plasmons in semiconductors. Later on, in 1971, I was beginning to take an interest in synchrotron radiation possibilities and I had some questions on his famous paper, written with C. T. De Dominicis on the absorption of X-rays in metals, which had been verified by experiments on Na at the Hamburg synchrotron (DESY) by the R. Haensel’group. At that time, synchrotron radiation experiments were done on synchrotrons, only allowing absorption measurements. It is only in the beginning of the 1970s, with the appearance of stable beams on collision storage rings and later on with the use of undulators, allowing to gain a factor 104 in brightness, that it was possible to develop completely new techniques like Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy, Resonant Inelastic Scattering in soft X-Rays, Inelastic Scattering in hard X-Rays with 1 meV resolution, extremely high pressure Diffraction and Spectroscopy. This allowed to do some experiments that, previously, could be done only with neutrons. I will describe some recent results showing the enormous evolution of these possibilities. From 1992, being DG of the ESRF between 1993 and 2OO2, I interacted more with Philippe, especially after 2004, having offices side by side, which allowed me to see him and ask some stupid questions.

Patterns formation in low dimensional electronic crystals

• Serguei Brazovski

Quantum transport and cold atomic gases

• Thierry Giamarchi