Chronology

The growth of UNAMUR's Physics Department, from a nucleus of two or three to several dozen members, began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that period was experienced an influx of students from several faculties, thus making it necessary to increase the staff of all departments, as well as in physics.

In order to promote the high academic level of teaching, Jesuit Fathers Victor Mersch and Charles Courtoy, already present as teacher-researchers since the 1930s and 1940s respectively, wanted to develop the department's research activity. The first professorship was that of Gaston Deconninck (1963), a specialist in nuclear physics at Leuven.

In 1967 and 1968 several assistant researchers (Jacques Walrand, Ghislain Blanquet and Alain Moussiaux) reinforce the embryos of teams.

In 1969, a new professor, André Ronveaux, mathematical engineer, was hired to help teach mathematics and to develop research in applied mathematics and mathematical physics.

From 1968 to 1975, several new waves of engagement took place under the rectorate of Father Denis. Guy Demortier, Franz Bodart and Georges Cardinael (1963) first, then Roland Caudano (1973), Amand Lucas (1974), Jean-Marie Gilles (1975). they strengthened existing laboratories or created new ones.

In 1976 the department has several distinct research laboratories in full expansion: the LARN (Laboratory of Analysis by Nuclear Reactions), the LSM (Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy), the LISE (Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Electron Spectroscopy, formerly ESCA, Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis), LPMPS (Laboratory of Mathematical Physics and Solid Physics), LASMOS (Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy of Surfaces).
During the rest of the 1970s, the lack of physics license degree seriously handicapped the functioning and progress of the department, especially in its research dimension: the exodus of physicist students after the second candidature led to the difficulty of recruiting assistants and first-rate PhD students.
These handicaps were corrected in 1981 with the creation of physics license degree, almost ten years after mathematics, chemistry and biology. This required the commitment of a last wave of staff, the professor Jean-Pol Vigneron, as well as several assistant researchers. A new didactic research laboratory was created, the UDP (Physics Teaching Unit), with a research extension later formed under the name of LPME (Laboratory of Physics of Electronic Materials).
During the period of expansion until the present years and in order to replace the retirements of first generation teachers, new professors are promoted from the inside, Ghislain Blanquet, Jean-Jacques Pireaux, Paul Thiry, Philippe Lambin, Robert Sporken, Guy Terwagne, Luc Henrard, Muriel Lepere, Anne-Catherine Heuskin or are hired from outside, L. Houssiau, Stephane Lucas, Olivier Deparis and Jim Plumat.
The courses related to the higher secondary education in physics were first assured by Jacques Keil then by Yvonne Verbist-Scieur, academic part-time and currently by Jim Plumat.
Throughout the history of the department and up to now, visiting professors come and go from outside, to provide substitute courses or optional courses, including Paul Paquet, Jean-Pierre Gaspard, Eric Courtens, Arlette Noels , Sarah Baatout, Yves Jongen ...

History of laboratories and research units

Research is the responsibility of individual laboratories or research units (UR). The creation of most of the current URs took place fairly quickly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the arrival of new teaching staff and with a view to developing a high-level research program. In chronological order :

• Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy  (LSM) - (Ch. Courtoy, 1948)
• Laboratory of Analysis by Nuclear Reactions (LARN) - (G. Deconninck, 1969)
• Laboratory of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics (LPTM) - (A. Ronveaux, 1971)
• Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Electron Spectroscopy (LISE, former ESCA) - (R. Caudano and J. Verbist, 1973)
• Laboratory of Mathematical Physics and Solid Physics (LPMPS, initially LPTM, presently LPS) - (A. Lucas, 1974)
• Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy of Surfaces (LASMOS) - (J.-M. Gilles, 1976)
• Didactic Unit of Physics (UDP) - (G. Cardinael, 1980)

• Laboratory of Physics of Electronic Materials (LPME + UDP) - (R. Sporken, 2001)

The objectives of these URs are briefly but rather clearly described by their denomination: atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, physics and elementary analysis of surfaces, physics of materials, ....

The initial ambition of already existing personalities and new recruits was the development of condensed state physics, both in its experimental and theoretical aspects.

First of all, it was desirable to avoid, as far as possible, the duplication of research areas already covered by other French-speaking universities in the country (such as astrophysics, elementary particle physics or statistical physics). The physics and analysis of solids and their surfaces and interfaces were favored. Poorly represented on the other campuses, these orientations constituted an original opening for physics research at UNamur. The field was promising as it was directly related to the technological applications of microelectronics, the fast-growing materials science of the 1970s and 80s and the nanosciences of the new millennium.

The history of the last 30 years has largely confirmed the appropriateness of these initial choices, as the department, by gradually becoming involved in a growing number of interuniversity research projects, and other more applied projects in collaboration with the industry, has earned an indisputable reputation in the country and abroad.

collaborations

One of the first collective projects in which three of the URs took the initiative very soon after their creation was the participation in the Concerted Actions (CA) program of the Ministry of Research, for the first time since 1977. Supported by the Research Council of the UNAMur recently set up, UR LPMPS, LISE and LASMOS set up an ambitious project of interuniversity collaboration called IRIS (Research Institute on Solid Interfaces), in collaboration with two of the physics laboratories of the State University of Mons.

The originality of the initial project was such that additional financial support was granted by the Polytechnic Faculties of Mons, the Catholic University Faculty of Mons and the Faculties of Gembloux which, during the first 3-year exercise, waived their endowment under CAs in favor of the IRIS project. The great success of the project ensured its renewal for six additional years, until a decision of the Board of Directors to grant the resources of CAs to other UNAMUR Research Units.

During the 1980s, alongside the regional CAs, the Federal Government initiated a vast inter-community research project aimed at bringing together the country's fundamental research forces in thirty Centers of Excellence, under the generic name of "Interuniversity Poles of Attraction" (PAI).

Based on their experience of the collaboration and scientific reputation gained through CAs, the aforementioned laboratories (LPMPS, LISE and LASMOS) reinforced by LARN and four laboratories of the Department of Chemistry, were recognized as a Pole of Attraction (or Center for Excellence) in charge of coordinating collective research. The PAI involved, besides UNamur, several KUL, RUCA, UIA, ULB and UG laboratories. Hundreds of people, professors, assistants and researchers, made up this vast ensemble entirely devoted to research on the physics of solid surfaces and interfaces between solids.

The presidency was entrusted to Prof. A. Lucas (LPMPS) who, in 1985, was awarded the prestigious Prix Francqui for all his work in this field. Once again, the numerous scientific successes of this extensive collaboration during the first five-year period (1987-1991, Interface Sciences), ensured two successive renewals for the five-year period (1992-1996, Interface Sciences and Mesoscopic Systems, and 1997-2001, Reduced-Dimensionality Systems). The quality of the PAI's research on the most advanced scientific topics (high-temperature superconductors, fullerenes, nanotubes, micromagnetism, ceramics, etc.) was repeatedly recognized by regular audits organized by the competent Ministry and calling on foreign referees of high reputation. This PAI project continued for a fourth 5-year period (2002-2006, Quantum Size Effects in Nanostructured Materials), with essentially the same research units, under the chairmanship of Prof. Y. Bruynseraede of the KUL.

While CAs and PAIs have been a major part of the scientific life of the department for the last 25-30 years, many other projects were set up by the URs, which also contributed to the quality and dynamism of physics research at UNamur: various projects of the Walloon Region, FIRST projects, European projects of the 5th and 6th Framework Programs ..., not to mention the organization of many international scientific congresses, doctoral schools, Advanced Study Institutes of NATO, IBM Chair of Computer science, etc. In addition, the URs have engaged in multiple, more ad hoc applied research activities, in collaboration with many local and international industrial firms. It is hardly possible to review all of these projects here, and it is important to advise the interested reader to refer to the annual scientific activity reports of the Faculty of Science.

Succession of the directors of the physics department:

Father D. Lucas (1894-)
Father V. Merch (1930-1948)
Father Ch. Courtoy, Director of the LSM (1948-1975)
G. Deconninck, Director of LARN (1968-1975)
A. Lucas, Director of LPMPS (1975-1978)
G. Demortier, Co-Director of LARN (1978-1986)
R. Caudano Co-Director of LISE (1986-1991)
JM Gilles, Director of LASMOS (1991-1995)
G. Blanquet, Director of the LSM (1995-2001)
JJ Pireaux, Director of LISE (2001-2007)
L. Houssiau, Co-Director of LISE (2007-2014)
G. Terwagne, Co-Director of LARN (2014-2017)
L. Henrard, Co-Director of LPS (2017-)