Fundamental research transition

The research conducted at IMT Atlantique ranges from highly fundamental to fully applicable. We take pride in maintaining this continuum in order to create a context favourable to the generating new knowledge, which is the basis for excellence in both teaching and innovation. Research in mathematics focuses on algorithms for signal processing, statistical methods for data analysis, machine learning algorithms, multi-objective optimisation, formal methods for code analysis and proof, algorithms for coding, decoding and information processing, and neuro-inspired algorithms for artificial intelligence.

The spectrum covered in physics concerns the study of elementary particles (quarks and gluons), as well as the search for dark matter and cosmic rays, the physics of the nucleus or the study of the properties of radio-elements. Our work includes understanding flows at fluid-solid interfaces in order to study transfer phenomena, multi-physics and multi-scale modelling and for studying porous structures on a nanometric scale.

  • Recherche fondamentale
  • Recherche fondamentale - Km3net
  • Recherche fondamentale - Xemis
  • Recherche fondamentale - Projet MFT
  • Recherche fondamentale - Km3net

Research Consortia (Chaires)

  • STOCKAGE: Radioactive waste storage and disposal

Some partners

Research projets
Ongoing project
PEPR MoleculArxiv - PC2 From digital data to bases

This project aims to revolutionize data storage using DNA, offering long-term storage stability and ease of use. Faced with competition from North American consortia, the aim is to make French research an international leader in polymer-based storage. The project is spread over 7 years, with a budget of 20 million euros. It focuses on three major challenges: DNA synthesis, information compression and the exploration of new polymers. The 5-year objective is to achieve a DNA read/write cycle of 1 bit per second, enabling 10 GB of data to be stored in 24 hours. Demonstrators will be created for archiving, marking, computing and molecular engineering applications. The CNRS is coordinating this project involving over 20 interdisciplinary laboratories, with the aim of strengthening France's position in the national and European research communities.

France 2030
Ongoing project
PEPR MoleculArxiv - PC4 - APPLICATION

This project aims to revolutionize data storage using DNA, offering long-term storage stability and ease of use. Faced with competition from North American consortia, the aim is to make French research an international leader in polymer-based storage. The project is spread over 7 years, with a budget of 20 million euros. It focuses on three major challenges: DNA synthesis, information compression and the exploration of new polymers. The 5-year objective is to achieve a DNA read/write cycle of 1 bit per second, enabling 10 GB of data to be stored in 24 hours. Demonstrators will be created for archiving, marking, computing and molecular engineering applications. The CNRS is coordinating this project involving over 20 interdisciplinary laboratories, with the aim of strengthening France's position in the national and European research communities.

France 2030
Ongoing project
Logo IAAP
Artificial Intelligence on Police Activity

"Intelligent" video surveillance, facial recognition, predictive mapping, etc. are all devices that renew police action. They are supposed to build “safe cities” / “safe cities” thanks to the contributions of artificial intelligence (AI). Three main questions articulate the research:

1) Following the hypothesis of a "scientification" of police knowledge, we will wonder how algorithmic processes change the modes of knowledge and representation of crime phenomena: do we go from a police of information to "big data policing"?

2) Do these tools lead public security policies towards predictive action or are they above all tools for rationalizing police activity (by providing the police hierarchy with more precise indicators on the action field police officers)?

3) Finally, it is a question of analyzing how the debate on AI tools for urban security purposes – raising strong issues of public freedoms and the protection of personal data – pushes researchers and IT developers to integrate political and social issues into their scientific and technical productions.

Projet ANR JCJC
Ongoing project
ICARUS
spIn-CAvitronics foR disrUptive RF applicationS

Non-reciprocity is of great interest for developing compact, integrated RF isolators and circulators that go beyond bulky solutions based on Faraday rotation in ferrites. These are valuable tools for both current communication systems and future quantum systems. Two approaches can be considered to manipulate the Parity-Time (PT) symmetry in spin cavitronics, which can lead to a non-reciprocal behavior.

  • The first one is based on the introduction of a chiral coupling between magnons and photons,
  • While the second is based on the ability to tune between (and combine) conservative and dissipative coupling regimes and to use antiresonances.

ICARUS has two objectives. On the fundamental side, we will study the control conditions of PT symmetry in coherent and dissipative spin cavitronics devices. On the applied side, we aim at realizing new concepts of RF isolators and circulators using the non-reciprocity of spin cavitronics devices. Finally, we will extend these approaches from the X-bands (8-12 GHz) to the W-bands (75-110 GHz), moving from well-known garnet-based ferrimagnetics to unexplored antiferromagnetic materials.

Projet ANR
Ongoing project
MeDeMAP
Mapping Media for Future Democracies

To set out future-proof pathways to strengthen democracy through improving accountability, transparency and effectiveness of media production and expanding active and inclusive citizenship, the project aims to clarify the extent to which European media perform their democratic functions. By applying an innovative multi-method design the project will cover (1) perspectives of both representative and participatory notions of democracy as they exist in European societies, (2) the entire range of news media, regardless of distribution channel, ownership and source of financing, (3) the legal and (self-)regulatory framework under which media houses and journalism operate, (4) the media's potential to promote and support political participation (supply side), and (5) the media use patterns, communication needs and democratic attitudes of the audiences (demand side) in the EU Member States.

Horizon Europe
Ongoing project
Logo AUFRANDE
Australia France Network of Doctoral Excellence

AUFRANDE is a highly ambitious 15.6M€ interdisciplinary doctoral training program linking France and Australia through 64 unique doctoral training positions. Led by RMIT Europe with participation of 22 French and 15 Australian academic partners and supported by over 40 non-academic partners

Horizon Europe
Ongoing project
Logo ALICIA
Assembly Lines In CIrculAtion

Smart digital tools for the sustainable, human-centric and resilient use of 

Horizon Europe
Ongoing project
Observation of beauty and quarkonia with the upgraded ALICE at the LHC

For a few millionths of a second after the Big Bang, the universe consisted of an extremely hot mix of the elementary particles quarks and gluons at a temperature a couple of hundred thousand times that at the centre of the sun.

Over the past several decades, physicists working with particle accelerators have been smashing nucleus together at tremendous speeds to recreate this quark–gluon plasma (QGP). The experiments are shedding light on the birth of our universe.

Horizon 2020
Ongoing project
Statistical ChAracterization of multi-scaLE complex Systems with information theory

Statistical physics shows strong benefits when describing multi-scale complex systems such as: fluid turbulence, climate or neural signals.  In particular, Information Theory exhibits strong potentialities in the study of complex systems due to its power to characterize non-linear behaviors. Moreover in the last years, AI models have been strongly developed to deal with a large number of scientific questions, and more particularly complex systems. Thus, SCALES proposes to combine this IT framework with AI models to characterize interactions among the scales of complex systems.

Projet ANR
Ongoing project
CEREBRO - Logo
The first ever existing EEG contrast medium, able to provide imaging of the entire brain and in a non-invasive way

Imaging the brain activity is fundamentally important for many brain-related scientific disciplines.

Horizon 2020