BIOGRAPHIE

As an experimental researcher in the MATRIX team, I am interested in systems with strong electronic correlations (multiferroics, superconductors, density wave compounds, etc.) using X-ray and neutron scattering.

Director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory from 2021 to 2025, currently Vice President for Research at Paris-Saclay University, Open Science Delegate

Orchid : https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0916-2105

• Antoine Vaunat (PHD 2018-2021)
• Wengen Zheng (PhD 2018-2022)
• Wei Peng (PhD 2015-2018)

• Ghassen Yahia (PhD 2014-2017)

• Sumanta Chattopadhyay (Postdoc 2013-2015)
• Victor Balédent (post-doc 2012-20213)

• Yassine Oubaid (PHD 2023-2026)
• Junwei Huang (PHD 2025-2029)

1.  Professional experience

Depuis 2009  Professor Polytech Paris Saclay, Paris Saclay University

2005-07     CNRS detachment

1996-09 Assistant professor (Paris XI University)

1991-93   Teaching assistant at University Paris XI

2.  Training

2007  Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Université Paris XI

1993 PHD at Université Paris XI

1990 Ingineering diploma ENSPG (PHELMA)

3.  Responsabilities

• Vice President for Open Science Research at Paris-Saclay University
• Director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory (2021/2025)
• Deputy Director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory (2020/2021)
• Director of the MEETICC Research Group (2016 to present)
• Deputy Director of the GDR Mico (2013-2014)
• Co-leader of the Matrix team at the LPS (~30 people; 2015 to present)
• Co-leader of the Materials Department at Polytech Paris Sud (2011-2019)
• Elected member of the Research Committee and CAC of Paris Saclay University (2020/…)
• Member of the CAC Comue Paris Saclay bureau (2015-2020)
• Elected full member of CNU 28 (2015-2019)
• Chair of the PR 28 Polytech Paris Sud (2019) and PR 28 Bordeaux (2021) selection committees
• Member of CCSU 28 then 28-30 (Univ. Paris Sud; IOGS); MCF and PR selection committees
• Member of the Bap J regional classification group for the CNRS (2021)
• Elected member of the COMUE PHOM department office (2016-2020)
• Member of the “Graduate School” Working Group, Comue Paris Saclay (2018-2019)
• Member of the “LPR” Working Group at Paris Saclay University (2021)
• Member of various councils: LPS Scientific Council (2002-10; 2012-14), UFR Physics Department Council (2010-14), Polytech Paris Sud Governance Council (2015 to present), Polytech Paris Sud Executive Board (2011/19)
• Research correspondent for Polytech Paris Saclay and therefore member of the University’s Research and Development Management Board (CODIREV) (2020/…)
• Member of the Scientific Council of the Friedel Jacquinot Federation, Paris Saclay University (2021/…)

4.  Publications and contracts

• 101 publications, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0916-2105
• 33 présentations orales dans conférences internationales (12 comme invitée) ; 15 séminaires
• 3 contrats partenaires ANR (2011 ; 2017; 2026) ; 6 contrats Labex (entre 2012-2019) ;1 contrat DIM
• 1 contrat collaboration Tunisie CMCU ; 3 contrats thèse CSC avec la Chine
• 1 contrat collaboration FR/USA

5.  Training through research

• 11 PHD, 2 post-doc, 5 Master students
• 2 invitations for PHD jury each year, 7 participations at HDR jury

6.  International

• CNRS/USA international cooperation initiative: 3 two-month invitations to Rutgers University (2008-2012)
• Invitations from foreign universities: University of Munich (8 days); University of Edinburgh (3 days)
• Joint thesis supervision with Tunisia: CMCU funding
• Expertise for the German agency DFG (2019)
• Participation in a COST project (2012)
• 4 invitations from foreign researchers (EPFL, Okayama, Institut za fiziku, Demokritos)
• Member of the scientific committee of 2 international conferences (2012 + ISCOM 2021)
• Organization of an international workshop (Electromagnon 2019) and 2 GDR conferences/year since 2013 (GDR MICO and Meeticc)

7.  Expert reviews

• 2021-22 Expert for the ANR’s CES 30
• 2020-2021 Expert for the ANR
• 2020 Expert assessment of an IRS application for the University of Grenoble
• 2019 Member of the HCERES evaluation committee for the LNCMI
• 2019 Expert assessment for the DFG (German Agency)
• 2019 Expertise on Master’s accreditation files (Paris Saclay University)
• 2017 Expertise for the INP Momentum call (CNRS)
• 2015-19 Elected member of the CNU 28th section
• Since 2013 ANR expert (~1 project/year)
• 2013-2018 Member of the Emergence office of the PALM labex
• 2010-2013 Member of the “Excitations” office of the program committee of the LLB

My research activities focus on the structural study of systems with strong electronic correlations and remarkable properties. I was initially mainly interested in low-dimensional systems (organic conductors, oxides, etc.). These systems exhibit fundamental quantum phenomena and can stabilize a wide variety of phases depending on the relative importance of competing interactions (superconductivity, 2kF density wave, charge order (CO), ferroelectricity, Peierls spin or antiferromagnetism). I studied the structural as well as the magnetic aspects of the stabilized phases. The study of diffuse X-ray or neutron scattering allows me to access important parameters of the structure, of course, but also of the electron gas, such as band filling (kF), charge density, gaps, and coupling intensity. Neutron scattering also provides access to the magnetic structure and magnetic excitations. This gives us a better understanding of the fundamentals. These techniques also allow us to investigate the dynamics at the transition. I have been particularly interested in charge order phenomena and the associated magnetic fundamentals in organic conductors ((TMTTF)2X or new salts that are ideally ¾ filled, or even K-BEDT-TTF)X2(CN)3) phases), in cobalt NaxCoO2, and in BaVS3.

In recent years, I have been interested in studying the effects of spin/charge/lattice coupling in multiferroic systems such as RMn₂O₅ manganites, as well as in iron compounds (MOFS or spin ladders), using neutron scattering and X-ray diffraction techniques. Multiferroic systems are of great fundamental interest for the study of complex spin-lattice couplings, but also of great industrial interest for applications in the field of spin electronics. In the RMn₂O₅ family with multiple magnetic and ferroelectric transitions, the magneto-electric coupling is poorly understood. It is attributed to a magnetostrictive effect that lifts magnetic frustration. I am studying this effect, as well as the influence of the nature of the rare earth R on the magnetic phases and their couplings to the lattice, by studying little-known members of the series (R=Pr, Nd, Gd, etc.). These chemical pressure effects are compared to the effect of hydrostatic pressure. I am currently interested in dynamic magneto-electric coupling. In the Fe spin scales with the chemical formula AFe2X3 (A = Ba, Re and X = Se, Te, S), a multiferroic phase is predicted theoretically but has never been studied experimentally. The effect of pressure is also very interesting since the system becomes superconducting above 10 GPa. This opens up a wide field of investigation using pressure diffusion techniques, which are my specialty.

PROJET DE THESETélécharger

Structure and elemental excitations in multiferoïc metal-organic frameworks

Swiss-French ANR funding SUNCHINE (2026-2030) :

Superconductivity, density waves and lattice intabilities in Nickelates

Contact

• pascale.foury@universite-paris-saclay.fr
• +33 (0) 1 69 15 60 55
• 1 rue Nicolas Appert, Bâtiment 510, 91405 Orsay Cedex France
• Room: O206
• How to reach the lab

Teaching