Plasma synthesis of innovative thin films and nanomaterials for device fabrication

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Innovation in materials science and engineering resides in our ability to control the structure of materials at the nanoscale in order to design new materials with outstanding functional properties (electrical, optical, magnetic, photocatalytic, etc.). One of the most powerful means to arrange matter at the nanoscale is to use plasmas due to their exceptional ability to provide simultaneously a variety of particles, namely ions, neutral atoms and radicals, and photons, together with a non-equilibrium environment. Plasmas are therefore unique to synthesize inorganic and organic materials in the form of either thin films or nanomaterials. My global vision is to continue to engage myself in this very fertile research field at the cutting edge of various disciplines (physics, chemistry and engineering) to generate exciting new knowledge in materials science and technology, and to conceive innovative materials processes that can be exploited for the next generation of RF and photonic devices of ever-increasing complexity, performance and functionality or for advanced environmental applications such as water treatment. In this context, my research program includes three projects tackling fundamental issues in plasma and materials science. Thanks to the newly available tools to probe matter dynamics, the first project aims to deepen the understanding of the physical phenomena governing the metal-insulator transition in doped vanadium dioxide synthesized by laser-produced plasmas. The second project intends to investigate the growth of artificially built multiferroic materials for advanced RF devices, capitalizing on our expertise in advanced nanofabrication techniques, in particular plasma-based materials synthesis and etching. The third project aims to understand low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for tightly controlling nanostructured cellulose functionalization. Besides these projects that are at the heart of my long-term vision, my research program also encompasses short- and medium-term projects that respond to specific economic and environmental needs in various sectors including energy, photonics, and photocatalysis. Short-term projects include, for example, the development of vanadium dioxide-based smart radiator devices for micro- and nanosatellites in collaboration with MPB Communications, the elaboration of state-of-the-art nanofabrication processes for manufacturing integrated photonic devices with AEPONYX and the investigation of nanostructured visible light-driven heterojunctions photocatalysts for water treatment with Magnus. Finally, a major benefit stemming from this research is the training of highly qualified personnel that will constitute a future pool of expertise for both academia and industry.