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Presentation of the laboratory
par - 9 février 2009
Toutes les versions de cet article : English , français
A brief history of LPT
In 1991, Jean Bellissard moved to Toulouse (from CPT in Marseille) along with a few freshly CNRS recruits to found a small Groupe de Physique Théorique (GPT) with the support of CNRS and Université Paul Sabatier (UPS ; Université de Toulouse III). This group was then hosted by the Laboratoire de Physique Quantique (now LCPQ). Roughly at the same time, the Institut de Recherche sur les Systèmes Atomiques et Moléculaires Complexes – IRSAMC was created, regrouping three laboratories including LCPQ. IRSAMC was soon recognized by CNRS and UPS as the Fédération de Recherche de Physique et Chimie Fondamentales (FR 2568), although the institute kept its IRSAMC name for all practical purposes.
Meanwhile, the GPT eventually grew and obtained undeniable scientific recognition and visibility to be finally recognized in 2003 as an Unité Mixte de Recherche of CNRS and UPS (UMR5152). Didier Poilblanc was the first director of LPT between 2003 and 2006, and was succeeded by Clément Sire for the 2007-2015 period, and Bertrand Georgeot, since 2016.
The LPT today
Le LPT currently hosts 14 CNRS researchers and 10 university employees at the UPS, 1 CNRS Research Engineer, 2 CNRS technicians, and each year, typically 5-8 postdocs and 10-16 PhD students, not to mention master students, and many foreign visitors. Since 2007, 4 UPS professors at LPT were awarded a fellowship of the Institut Universitaire de France.
Since 2003, LPT is one of the four laboratories constituting the Fédération IRSAMC (FR 2568), along with Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité – LCAR (UMR5589 ; experimental atomic and cluster physics), Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantiques – LCPQ (UMR5626 ; theoretical chemistry), and Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie des Nano-Objets – LPCNO (UMR5215 ; nanophysics and nanochemistry).
Since 2007, LPT is funded by many contracts with Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the European Union, and several other punctual grants (CNRS, UPS, Région Midi-Pyrénées...), in addition to the annual CNRS and UPS funding.
Since January 1, 2021 , LPT has been part of FeRMI FeRMI
The four LPT groups
Since 2003, the LPT is structured into four groups covering a wide spectrum of modern physics, excluding particle and nuclear physics (read the CNRS 2011 presentation of LPT, in French) :
Key words : quantum magnetism, frustrated magnetism, unconventional superconductivity, low-dimensionality materials, quantum phase transitions, cold atoms, numerical simulations.
Key words : quantum computer, quantum algorithms, quantum coherence and information, role of disorder and impurities, classical and quantum chaos, mesoscopic physics, cold atoms, properties of networks, astrophysics, physics of networks, non linear physics.
- Physique Statistique des Systèmes Complexes (Statistical Physics of Complex Systems ; PhyStat) (head : Clément Sire)
Key words : soft condensed matter and biophysics, out of equilibrium physics, disordered systems, long-range interacting systems, kinetic theories of liquids and gas, stochastic processes and their applications, astrophysics, physics of society.
Key words : laser-matter interaction, clusters in external fields, physics of embedded or deposited clusters, clusters of biophysical interest, numerical simulations and methodology.
Multidisciplinarity is the vital and inspiring motor of the scientific activity of LPT since its foundation. LPT’s scientific activity is indeed evaluated by four different CNRS Sections of the Comité National de la Recherche Scientifique (02 – main Section, 03, 04, 05).
Scientifique production of LPT
During the period 06/2009-06/2014, LPT researchers have published around 420 articles in peer-reviewed international journals (34 Physical Review Letters), have contributed to more than 300 conferences, and have edited 3 softwares (including one commercial software). They have ongoing collaborations (i.e. share publications) with more than 300 scientists working in more than 200 institutions in 25 countries, including 9 laboratories on the Toulouse campus : CRCA, IMT, IPBS, LCAR, LCPQ, LMGM, LAAS, LNCMI, OMP.
In March 2011, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research has selected the Laboratoire d’Excellence project Nano, EXtreme measurements & Theory (NEXT) presented by the Research Federation IRSAMC (LCAR, LCPQ, LPCNO, LPT), the CEMES, and the LNCMI-Toulouse.
The LPT scientific reports (with the pdf link to each article ; see also the Publications section), and its AERES/HCERES evaluation reports can be downloaded in pdf.
Organization diagram of LPT
As of 01/06/2022, the international permanent staff of the LPT comprises 14 CNRS researchers and 10 “enseignants-chercheurs” at the UPS, and 2 CNRS technicians.
Download the full organization diagram of LPT (2022)
Director of LPT : Sylvain Capponi
Deputy Director of LPT : Fabien Alet
Administration : Malika Bentour (CNRS technician)
Safety instructions and rescue organization : See this article
Prevention and safety : Malika Bentour
Handicap officer : Malika Bentour
Training programs : Malika Bentour
Computers (CSSI CNRS & UPS) :Sandrine Le Magoarou ( Ingénieur d’étude CNRS)
Webmaster : Sandrine Le Magoarou
Communication : Clément Sire , Malika Bentour
LPT seminar :Revaz Ramazashvili