Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
Toulouse - UMR 5152

Aim and objectives

Following the tradition of the previous successful meetings that have started in 2009, the Theory Days workshop aims at stimulating constructive discussions, collaborations, and knowledge exchange among a selected group of theoreticians. This year the workshop will be dedicated to various methods and numerical treatments of plasmonics in complex nanostructures.

A molecule, a cluster or a solid, when excited by an intense electromagnetic field, as that delivered by a laser field or a swift charged projectile, can exhibit various responses. One of them relies on the excitation of the Mie (or surface) plasmon. Since about fifteen years, the development and improvement of nanofabrication by physical or chemical techniques has allowed one to build nanostructures of which the morphology, the composition and the arrangement can be controlled at a very high level of precision. Meanwhile, the experimental techniques based on an electronic or photonic probe have considerably been improved. Optical spectroscopies, either linear or non-linear, near or far field, and electronic spectroscopies are nowadays so advanced that is is now possible to study the optical response of plasmonic nanostructures with an excellent spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. For instance, it is possible to explore in detail the coupling between plasmonic nanostructures and quantum emitters, or to shed light the quantum corrections that appear when two metal nanoparticles are separated by less than one nanometer. To describe these phenomena, new numerical simulation tools and theoretical concepts have recently shown up.

We plan to gather people from various groups working in this domain, mostly in western Europe. The workshop is intended to be a working forum, thus rather informal. The format will consist in a series of long detailed talks, typically 1 hour (40 mn talk + 15 mn for questions) focusing in particular on ongoing problems and open ends. We thus urge participants to prepare their talks in this spirit.

If a consensus is reached during the workshop it would be highly profitable to envision a sequel to this workshop in order to possibly establish, at best collaborative links between the various groups with possible exchange of researchers and students, at worst an ongoing follow up of progress in the field.

Scientific program

The preliminary scientific program can be found below.

Wed November 22nd

Thu November 23rd

Fri November 24th

Practical aspects

Access to Toulouse

Airports

Toulouse airport is connected to major west European airports and hubs (Paris Orly and Roissy Charles de Gaulle, Munich, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam) with regular connections by Air France/KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways for the major companies and also with connections by (Low Cost) Easy Jet. Plane provides by far the simplest access to Toulouse with reasonable fees for sufficiently early booking.

There is a shuttle to downtown (first stop at Compans Caffarelli, on line B of metro) every 20 mn (cost is 5 euros for a one-way combined shuttle/metro ticket, no special fare for a return trip).

As soon as one catches the shuttle, it takes about half an hour to get to the University, thanks to the connection with line B at Compans Caffarelli station (direction "Ramonville" to get to the university).

An alternative access is provided by Carcassone airport (about 45 minutes by car from Toulouse) which has a Low Cost access through Ryanair.

In case of major problem, we shall organize some transfer. It would be useful to know sufficiently in advance such details.

Train

Central station is Toulouse Matabiau connected to line A of the metro and is connected to major French cities.

Lodging and meals

We cover lodging, meals, and local transportation during the duration of the workshop (arrival Nov 30, departure Dec 2). The participants should then note that the travel costs will not be covered.

The hotel is the Hôtel Kyriad Toulouse centre (5 boulevard de la gare 31500 Toulouse). It is located close to station François Verdier on metro line B (7 min of walk).

Lunches will take place at the restaurant l’Esplanade on the campus of the university.

Dinners will take place at the restaurant Les copains d’abord (38 rue pont Guilhemery 31000 Toulouse, 2 min walk from the hotel), at 19:30.

Directions to the meeting venue

• Take metro line B, direction Ramonville Saint-Agne
• Get off at "Universite Paul Sabatier"
• Exit towards the university
• Follow the indications of the map below.