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The research team is led by Principal Investigator (PI) Professor Michaël Lobet, Qualified Researcher FNRS, who is a member of the LPS, and is also affiliated with the NISM (Pôle de recherche NOP). It is made up of post-doctoral researchers, PhD students and Master's students, whose composition varies from year to year and depending on the project.
It aims to be as diverse and inclusive as possible. It is also very proud of its alumni network, which has grown over time and contributed greatly to the team's development. Dedicated to excellence, the research team has been the recipient of numerous prizes and awards.
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Principal Investigator (PI) | Michaël Lobet
My research interests span photonics, materials science, quantum physics and solid state physics. I work on light-matter interactions at the nanoscale in the broad sense: metamaterials, photonic crystals, plasmonics, nonlinear optics, photovoltaics, electrodynamics of 2D and near-zero refractive index materials, molecular electronics and biophotonics.
I have published 29 papers in ISI-ranked journals with a high impact factor, 11 conference proceedings, 2 book chapters and 2 articles in the magazine of the Belgian Physical Society. My h-index is 17 with 701 citations (Google Scholar, 28/12/2024).
I have presented my work in 39 oral presentations (including 20 invited and 2 plenary) at international/national conferences or workshops and 14 posters at international/national conferences.
I also study active learning strategies and the impact of AI on education.
Group composition
Adrien Debacq
Doctoral FRIA (FNRS)
Fields of interest
- Fundamental study of laser dynamics in NZI media
- Design of NZI laser cavities
- Numerical modeling of near-fields in NZI materials
Tim Laboureur
Master 2 student in physics, specialization "Matter, energy and environment"
Domains of interest
- Simulation of photonic structures by FEM
- Dynamic and optical modeling of solar sails and laser propulsion
- Coronography for exoplanet detection
Thaïs Nivaille
Master 2 student in physics
Areas of interest
- Analogous gravity
- Gravitational phenomena in metamaterials and fluid systems
Kevin Persoons
Master's 2 student in physics
Areas of interest
- Cultural heritage
- Natural sciences
- Scientific communication
Lucas Viseur
Doctoral candidate and assistant in the Department of Physics
Areas of interest
- aerospace engineering
- applications of metamaterials and metasurfaces to the design of future spacecraft
- thermal control, stray light reduction and improved optical systems
Hall of fame | Awards
Awards (most recent to oldest)
- Adrien Debacq: Second place for best poster in the session organized at NISM Annual Meeting 2024 (M.L. PI)
- Adrien Debacq: Best poster award by public vote at bePOM 2024 (M.L. PI)
- Adrien Debacq: First prize in the best poster competition International Scientific Meeting of the Belgian Physical Society 2023 (M.L. PI)
- Lorenzo Koenig: Best contributed talk at Belgian photonics online meetup 2022 (M.L. co-PI)
- Bruno Majérus: Belgian Physical Society Prize for one of the three best Master's theses in Physics 2017 (M.L. co-PI)
- Michaël Lobet: Young Lecturer Prize of the Belgian Physical Society, 2017 (1st prize)
- Michaël Lobet: Georges Vanderlinden Prize of the Royal Academies of Sciences and Arts of Belgium (Quadrennial Prize 2013-2016)
- Michaël Lobet: Prize of the Belgian Physical Society for one of the three best Master's theses in Physics, 2012
- Michaël Lobet: Prize for best poster awarded by the Quantum Electronics and Photonics division of the Institute of Physics (UK) at the Photon12 conference (Durham)
Grants (chronological order)
- Physix, L'énergie", media grant, Fonds Wernaers, 2024, 14k€ (Jean-Marc Dubois and André Fuzfa).
- GenAI4Students, PUNCH -UNamur, 30k€, 2024-2025 (PI, with Benoit Frenay, Julien Colaux and Julie Henry as co-PIs).
- MOONSHINE: Moiré phOtONic platformS for enHanced light-matter iNtEractions, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), PDR Funding period: 01/2024-12/2027, Budget: 483 k€ (PI, with Benoit Hackens-UCL as co-PI)
- LAZIM: Lasers in low refractive index media
Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), PhD student (A. Debacq) Funding period: 10/2023-09/2027, Budget: 200 k€ - FSR (Fond Spécial de Recherche) UNamur "Effect of heat treatment on the optical properties of glasses composed of metal-dielectric multilayers", in collaboration with AGC (2021-2022, 2x21.5k€) (co-PI with Luc Henrard)
- WBI-China collaboration 2021-2024 (15k€)
Research grants
- BAEF post-doctoral grant 2018
- ERASMUS grant 2010
