Laboratory for light element studies

Laboratory for light element studies

Within the Laboratory for light element studies (LEEL, Laboratoire d'Etude des Eléments Légers), research topics are focused on light element behavior in materials for energy. Tasks range from material synthesis to charaterization. It is mainly performed with the help of the nuclear microprobe, a facility remarkably suited for monitoring light elements. Particularly, processes such as diffusion, precipitation and segregation can be addressed locally by the use of selected nuclear reactions, either through the use of isotopic tracers or by directly measuring the investigated elements. We apply these methods for materials dedicated to energy and technology (batteries & fuel cell materials, nuclear materials). In some cases, these studies are also applied to highly radioactive samples by using the radioactive beamline Casimir.

We also use ion microbeams to investigate processes generated by radiolysis such as cellular response to targeted irradiation. It is effectively observed that cellular response to irradiation is not limited to targeted cells, surrounding cells being also affected by energy deposition (so called bystander effect). This effect is particularly detectable at low doses and is generally probed with single ion irradiation setups.

All these topics are generally investigated in close collaboration with teams from CEA and CNRS.

LEEL researchers also act as local contacts at the nuclear microprobe for external users. Beam time and access is allocated by a selection committee.

Contact : Hicham KHODJA

Membres

Projets

  • 2D-MEMBA: 2D nanolaminate – nanofluidic ionic diodes hybrid membranes for desalination and water purification (2D-MEMBA) Project # ANR-21-CE09-0034 (english)

    2D-MEMBA: 2D nanolaminate – nanofluidic ionic diodes hybrid membranes for desalination and water purification (2D-MEMBA) Project # ANR-21-CE09-0034 (english)

    Summary: Nanomaterials hold promise for the development of innovative membranes towards the purification of water and desalination. Two-dimensional materials (2D) when stacked in 2D nanolaminates have been investigated for molecular sieving via size-limited diffusion in the 2D capillaries while nanofluidic ionic diodes can efficiently control the diffusion of ions depending on their charges. Within 2D-MEMBA,…

  • ANR ASAP project (2024-2028)

    ANR ASAP project (2024-2028)

    The ASAP project proposes to explore the quantum properties of light produced by high-order harmonic generation. An optical frequency comb with high average power and a repetition rate of several tens of megahertz will be developed with the aim of producing a light source with unique properties in the extreme ultraviolet range Architecture of the…

  • ANR ATTOCOM project (2021-2024)

    ANR ATTOCOM project (2021-2024)

    HHG in semiconductor crystals High-order laser harmonic generation (HHG) in semiconductor crystals is a new source of short wavelength, ultrashort duration (femtosecond to attosecond) pulses at very high rates, enabling us to track ultrafast electronic dynamics in complex materials. Compared with HHG in gases, solid-state sources promise more advanced control and greater versatility of this…

  • ANR FemtoDose Project (2022-2026)

    ANR FemtoDose Project (2022-2026)

    Nanocoulomb femtosecond laser plasma gas pedals with plasma mirror injectors: high doses at very high dose rates In-vivo experiments have shown that healthy tissue (vs. diseased tissue) is much less sensitive to ionizing radiation when delivered in short pulses. This high-dose-rate radiotherapy (RT), also known as RT-FLASH, opens the way to highly innovative new medical…

  • ANR HELIMAG project (2022-2026)

    ANR HELIMAG project (2022-2026)

    Helical dichroism of magnetic structures High-order harmonic generation (HOGG) has recently made available light sources delivering femtosecond (fs) or attosecond (as) pulses, carrying spin angular momentum (SAM) or orbital angular momentum (OAM). The former are associated with circular polarization and carry unitary angular momentum (AM). The latter have wavefronts whose inclination rotates helically around the…

  • ANR LabCom 2018 – DESIR

    ANR LabCom 2018 – DESIR

    Efficient and sensitive detection of reaction intermediates via NMR The ability to control chemical reactions by simultaneously monitoring in real time and under real conditions the concentration of…

  • ANR NANOLITE project

    ANR NANOLITE project

    Laser platform for EUVmetrology Created in January 2020, the NANOLITE joint laboratory, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and bringing together CEA and the company Imagine Optic, is developing original solutions for optical metrology at short wavelengths. The aim of the NanoLite joint laboratory is to bring together an academic laboratory with expertise…

  • ANR projects: SINAPSE et UFO (2019-2024)

    ANR projects: SINAPSE et UFO (2019-2024)

    Project SINAPSE : Silicon carbide nanoemitters and optical enhancement for the analysis of intracellular transport in 3D neural networks – SINAPSE ANR project CE09 – Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for the products of the futureJanuary 2020 – July 2024 Partners: Nous proposons dans ce projet d’analyser la réponse optique de nanocristaux de SiC excités dans l’infrarouge…

  • ANR TOCYDYS project (2020-2024)

    ANR TOCYDYS project (2020-2024)

    The objectives of the TOCYDYS (Towards Optical CYcle DYnamics in Solids) project are as follows: – Carry out an ambitious experimental and theoretical research program on ultrafast dynamics on femtosecond and attosecond time scales, in the field of solid-state physics and laser-matter interaction. – Contribute to the sustainability and development of Equipex Attolab, whose funding…

  • ANR-MAGWAT

    Innovative energy storage based on magnesium and aqueous electrolytes Aqueous solutions play a key role in biology, chemistry and, more particularly, in energy-related fields such as photo and electro-catalysis and batteries. Whereas aqueous batteries are supposed to be constrained by the thermodynamic electrochemical stability window of water (1.23 V vs. NHE under standard conditions in…

  • CEFIPRA MultiDAM project (2024-2027)

    CEFIPRA MultiDAM project (2024-2027)

    Tailoring ultra-short light pulses is a promising way of studying fundamental questions about the ultrafast electronic dynamics in matter, with foreseen new technological applications. The current project is advancing attosecond physics by addressing two key bottlenecks: How to generate frequency-tunable attosecond XUV pulses that carry spin or orbital angular momentum? Tunability is crucial for probing…

  • CHEM-Switch

    CHEM-Switch

    « Back to the Group page« Back to the Contracts page Project overview The fundamental property of ferroelectric (FE) materials is their electrically switchable spontaneous polarization below the…

  • CLOE project

    CLOE project

    Laser Crystals for Extreme Optics Cristal Laser and CEA Paris-Saclay have set up a platform bringing together original characterization instruments to refine understanding of ultraviolet aging phenomena in non-linear optical crystals, and improve the lifetime and performance of finished products. The CEA has brought together a wide range of lasers in a single, permanent platform,…

  • EPONA project (2021-2026)

    EPONA project (2021-2026)

    The aim of the EPONA project (BPI-FRANCE) is to study and demonstrate the purification of palladium from nuclear reactor fission products by laser isotope separation in atomic steam.

  • ERC SPINFIELD project (2021)

    ERC SPINFIELD project (2021)

    In his project “SPINFIELD – Controlling spin angular momentum with the field of light”, Romain Géneaux, a researcher in the DICO team at CEA-IRAMIS/LIDYL, will study the interaction between light and electron spin, an intrinsic quantum property directly responsible for macroscopic material properties such as magnetism. The aim of this research of excellence is to…

  • ERC Starting Grant SATTOC project (2023-2028)

    ERC Starting Grant SATTOC project (2023-2028)

    The ERC Starting Grant SATTOC “Solution ATTOsecond Chemistry” project involves studying the chemical dynamics of solvated systems using state-of-the-art attosecond spectroscopy tools. Attosecond pulses, which can reach the X-ray range, excite electrons in the inner electronic layers of molecules, i.e. as close as possible to atomic nuclei. These excited states of matter are highly ephemeral,…

  • eSCALED

    eSCALED

    Le changement climatique résultant de l’accumulation de dioxyde de carbone anthropique dans l’atmosphère et l’incertitude quant à la quantité de réserves de combustibles fossiles récupérables…

  • EURO-LABS (WP5) project (2022-2026)

    EURO-LABS (WP5) project (2022-2026)

    The EURO-LABS project aims to bring together 3 research communities in nuclear physics, gas pedal technologies and detectors for high-energy physics to address fundamental questions and technological challenges, through projects with a broad societal impact, promoting the sharing of knowledge between different scientific fields and strengthening Europe’s potential to successfully meet future challenges. The PHI…

Domaines Techniques

  • 2D/3D Printing technologies and Spray

    2D/3D Printing technologies and Spray

    LICSEN progressively assembled a set of printing equipments devoted to its activities in the field of bio-sensors (lab on paper), organic electronics (antenna), surface modifications (metallization of plastics), microfluidics and energy-related materials. It notably includes a Kelenn Technology K-SCAN printer, a Dimatix 2D printer, a Stratasys Object30Pro, several tabletop 3D printers, a spray system, several photonic curing systems… Main contacts: Fanny…

  • Advanced Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM)

    Advanced Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM)

    Electrochemical microscopy (SECM, for Scanning ElectroChemical Microscopy) is an electrochemical technique developed in the late 90s. It involves bringing a micrometer-sized electrode close to the surface to be studied. Depending on the nature of the electrolyte in which the experiment is carried out, and the potential conditions imposed on the electrode and substrate, we can…

  • AO-MBE Oxydes  @ SPEC / LNO

    AO-MBE Oxydes @ SPEC / LNO

    La technique de l’épitaxie par jets moléculaires ou MBE en anglais (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) a été développée initialement pour la croissance cristalline des semi-conducteurs. Il s’agit d’une…

  • ATTOLab platform

    ATTOLab platform

    Ultrafast dynamics in dilute and condensed phases ATTOLab is a CEA/LIDYL experimental laser platform based at the Orme des Merisiers site, dedicated to interdisciplinary studies of ultrafast dynamics – electronic and nuclear dynamics on femto- (10-15) and atto- (10-18) second time scales – in dilute and condensed phase systems. ATTOLab is a platform open to…

  • Attosecond beamlines

    Attosecond beamlines

    The ATTOphysics Group is the Coordinator of the brand new national facility ATTOLab. Initiated by an Equipment of Excellence (Equipex) program of the National Research Agency (ANR), it gathers nine…

  • Banc multiferroïque

    Banc multiferroïque

    Les oxydes de structure cristalline pérovskite sont très étudiés car ils adoptent une structure relativement simple et possèdent généralement des propriétés ferroïques remarquables (ferromagnétisme,…

  • Characterization Techniques at LEDNA

    Characterization Techniques at LEDNA

    Electron microscopy Infrared and Raman spectroscopy Thermogravimetric analysis Specific surface and porosity Elemental analysis Dynamic light scattering X-ray diffraction Ion chromatography

  • Characterization Techniques at LEDNA (anglais)

    Characterization Techniques at LEDNA (anglais)

    Electron microscopy Infrared and Raman spectroscopy Thermogravimetric analysis Specific surface and porosity Elemental analysis Dynamic light scattering X-ray diffraction Ion chromatography

  • Control command system for experiments with TANGO

    Control command system for experiments with TANGO

    Laboratory experiments are increasingly composed of electronic hardware and computer controlled. In most cases the quality of the equipment (mechanical, electronics) is very good but the software is…

  • Deposition, growth, thin films

    Deposition, growth, thin films

    The nanotechnologies require to build complex heterostructures at an atomic scale. Those are generally carried out by deposition on a substrate (metal or oxide). The control of the physical…

  • Electron diffraction (LEED and RHEED)

    Electron diffraction (LEED and RHEED)

    The electron diffraction is a technique which makes it possible to study the structure and the symmetry of surfaces. This technique rests on the undulatory nature of the electrons and the strong…

  • Electron-beam Litography and Nanofabrication

    Electron-beam Litography and Nanofabrication

    LICSEN is equipped for e-beam litography and has access to the clean room facility at CEA-SPEC (optical litography, wet and dry etching…). We also operate several SEMs and AFMs. Main contacts: Vincent Derycke

  • Experimental diagnostics

    Experimental diagnostics

    Magnetic spectrometer The electron spectrometer measures the energy distribution of electron beams produced on the platform. This enables us to observe the deviation of the electrons (xd, yd) by the magnet’s magnetic field from an undeviated trajectory.The latter is defined by the position of the laser beam path in the plane of a Kodak Lanex…

  • FAB1-10 lasers (ATTOLab)

    FAB1-10 lasers (ATTOLab)

    The FAB1-10 lasers of the ATTOLab platform Since 2016, the ATTOLab platform has combined the FAB1-10 laser, devices generating its femto/attosecond XUV pulses by high harmonic generation in gases, and experimental stations for ultrafast dynamics in gas and solid phases. More specifically, the SLIC team is in charge of the FAB1-10 laser. based on the…

Thèses

Thèmes de recherche

  • Active Matter

    Active Matter

    Our work on active matter remains at the edge of the still rapid evolution of the field. Our main lines of research were: i) building and analysis of minimal models and theories describing the generic and universal physics of active systems, i.e., quantitative and qualitative properties that are independent of system-details; ii) model building for…

  • Advanced Synthesis

    LEEL’s FSP burner operating for Al2O3 nanoparticles synthesis : left pilot flame, middle pure ethanol spray, right synthesis flame with Al nitrate/ethanol spray.

  • Biophysics at LLB/MMB

    Biophysics at LLB/MMB

    In biological systems, the inner cell is a highly congested environment, which may result from the presence of macromolecules that may or may not be inert to biological reactions (macromolecular congestion), or from physical sequestration by elements such as fiber and membrane networks (confinement). Compared with in vitro, in vivo confinement in cell can considerably…

  • Characterization of materials for energy

    Characterization of materials for energy

    Les différentes filières énergétiques, telles que l’énergie nucléaire ou encore les nouvelles technologies autour de l’hydrogène, vecteur énergétique, ou le photovoltaïque, demandent des matériaux…

  • Condensed matter physics and chemistry

    Condensed matter physics and chemistry

    Physics and chemistry, in all their aspects, are the two disciplines at the heart of IRAMIS’ activities. These disciplines are broken down into the following research themes: IRAMIS’s large-scale facilities, such as the LLB’s diffusion and diffraction spectrometers and neutron imaging stations, or the LSI’s SIRIUS accelerator, are particularly well suited to the study of…

  • Disordered solids: glasses around Tg or Pg

    Disordered solids: glasses around Tg or Pg

    Glasses are everywhere in our daily life, from ordinary windowpanes to granular materials. What unifies them is their elusive nature: they are not crystalline solids, yet they hardly flow. Whether they are merely hyper-viscous liquids or form an intrinsic state of matter largely remain open issue. To shed light on this fundamental question, we have…

  • Electronic structure and atomistic modelisation

    Electronic structure and atomistic modelisation

    Several IRAMIS teams are involved in calculations of the electronic structure (ab-initio , tight binding, Hückel methods, etc…) and more generally in the modeling of matter at the atomic scale,…

  • Electrons, ions, neutrons for the exploration and transformation of matter

    Irradiation of materials usually leads to the formation of defects, which need to be identified in order to assess the radiation resistance of materials. Irradiation can also be used to shape materials for a wide range of technological applications. Finally, radiation studies can also be used to simulate the accelerated ageing of nuclear materials, ceramics…

  • Failure of disordered solids

    Disordered solids are everywhere in our daily life, from ordinary windowpanes to granular materials. They play such a significant role that the United Nations declared 2022 to be the International Year of the Glass (IYOG2022).  Understanding how disordered solids break is also a major focus in our group. The complexity here stems from the multi-scale…

  • Fermio-bosonic protected Qubit

    Fermio-bosonic protected Qubit

    To enhance the resilience of superconducting circuits against environmental noise, we are focusing on the quest of robust protected qubits. We want to make use of the fermionic degree of freedom of the Andreev states that have long been overlooked in Josephson circuits. Up to now, we have explored Andreev physics in superconducting weak links…

  • Fundamental questions on quantum circuits

    Fundamental questions on quantum circuits

    Topology We plan to adress the following questions: Strong coupling / dissipation Regarding the effects of dissipation, despite our experiment on the Schmid transition Ref. 4, there is still controversy, both among experimentalists and theorists, on how a resistor affects transport through a Josephson junction. With our recent theoretical work Ref. 5, and designing new…

  • Gold nanoparticles for Plasmonics and Health

    Gold nanoparticles for Plasmonics and Health

    Responsable: Sylvie MARGUET Participants: Aurélie Habert, Jérôme Caron (Master-2), Mohammad Khaywah (Post-doc) IRAMIS-NIMBE-LEDNA (Laboratoire Edifices Nanométriques) Résumé: notre objectif est de…

  • Hybrid functional materials and complex architectures

    Hybrid functional materials and complex architectures

    Nanoarchitectures organiques 2D Les nanoarchitectures organiques bidimensionnelles (2D) sur les surfaces sont réalisées en tirant parti des interactions intermoléculaires sélectives et directionnelles (liaisons hydrogène et halogène, couplage d’Ullmann) entre des blocs de construction moléculaires spécifiquement conçus. Cette approche permet une ingénierie à l’échelle atomique d’une grande variété d’arrangements moléculaires à caractère compact ou poreux, tels…

  • Ion Beam Analysis

    Ion Beam Analysis

    The nuclear microprobe is a non-destructive analysis tool allowing elemental characterization at the micrometer scale of solid samples of diverse origins: interfaces and grains of synthesized materials, cellular monolayers, inclusions in terrestrial and extraterrestrial geologic samples. The method relies on the detection and spectrometry of emitted radiations by the interaction of a light ion micro-beam…

  • Laser-matter interaction

    Laser-matter interaction

    IRAMIS’s research activities on laser-matter interaction concern both physical and chemical matters. Research programs range from simple atomic and molecular systems, to complex molecular and..

  • Magnetism, phase transitions – Neutron scattering studies

    Magnetism, phase transitions – Neutron scattering studies

    Magnetism is a field of major interest, because combined with electronics, it has profoundly changed our daily lives: in the form of sensors, actuators, nomadic devices (telephones, tablets, laptops), materials with increased storage capacities for magnetic recording of all our computer data, etc…. Ultimately, quantum computation and quantum computers may yet revolutionize our societies. On…

  • Materials for Energy at Licsen

    Materials for Energy at Licsen

    In the very active field of chemistry and material-science for renewable energy prodcution, conversion and storage, the Licsen mostly studies : (1)H2 to electricity conversion in platinum-free…

  • Materials, nanomaterials, materials for electronics, energy and heritage materials  @ NIMBE

    Materials, nanomaterials, materials for electronics, energy and heritage materials @ NIMBE

    Fundamental Research on materials enables us to develop methods for elaborating new materials with original properties. This research enables to adapt these materials to get the best performances in the realization of electronic or optical devices. Another research approach is to adapt materials for optimum performance in energy production, corrosion resistance, functionalized materials and catalytic…

  • Matter and Complex Systems

    Matter and Complex Systems

    All the matter around us is made up of atoms of varying degrees of organization and structure. Understanding how this matter assembles and organizes itself, the possible phase diagrams as a function of the size of the system, and the properties at macroscopic scale based on those at atomic scale, remains a major challenge for…

  • Metrology of intense ultra-short lasers

    Metrology of intense ultra-short lasers

    Space-time measurement methods Generating, shaping and using intense ultrashort laser pulses for HIFU experiments requires knowledge of the electric field E(x,y,z=z0,t) corresponding to the laser beam. The impossibility of writing the field as the product of a function of space variables and a function of time leads to the presence of space-time couplings (STC). These…