La microscopie optique sur substrats antireflets est un outil de caractérisation simple et puissant qui a notamment permis l'isolation du graphène en 2004. Depuis, le domaine d'étude des matériaux bidimensionnels (2D) s'est rapidement développé, tant au niveau fondamental qu'appliqué. Ces matériaux ultraminces présentent des inhomogénéités (bords, joints de grains, multicouches, etc.) qui impactent fortement leurs propriétés physiques et chimiques. Ainsi leur caractérisation à l'échelle locale est primordiale. Cette thèse s'intéresse à une technique récente de microscopie optique à fort contraste, nommée BALM, basée sur l'utilisation originale de couches antireflets très minces (2-5 nm) et fortement absorbantes (métalliques). Elle a notamment pour but d'évaluer les mérites de cette technique pour l'étude des matériaux 2D et de leur réactivité chimique. Ainsi, les différents leviers permettant d'améliorer les conditions d'observation des matériaux 2D ont tout d'abord été étudiés et optimisés pour deux matériaux modèles : l'oxyde de graphène et les monocouches de MoS₂. L'étude de la dynamique de dépôt de couches moléculaires a notamment permis de montrer à la fois l'extrême sensibilité de BALM pour ce type de mesures et l'apport significatif des multicouches antireflets pour l'augmentation du contraste lors de l'observation des matériaux 2D. L'un des atouts principaux de BALM venant de sa combinaison à d'autres techniques, nous nous sommes particulièrement intéressés au couplage de mesures optiques et électrochimiques pour lesquelles le revêtement antireflet sert d'électrode de travail. Nous avons ainsi pu étudier optiquement la dynamique de réduction électrochimique de l'oxyde de graphène (GO), l'électro-greffage de couches minces organiques par réduction de sels de diazonium sur le GO et sa forme réduite (r-GO), ainsi que l'intercalation d'ions métalliques entre feuillets de GO. En combinant versatilité et fort-contraste, BALM est ainsi établi comme un outil prometteur pour l'étude des matériaux 2D et en particulier pour la caractérisation locale et in situ de leur réactivité chimique et électrochimique. / Optical microscopy based on anti-reflective coatings is a simple yet powerful characterization tool which notably allowed the first observation of graphene in 2004. Since then, the field of two-dimensional (2D) materials has developed rapidly both at the fundamental and applied levels. These ultrathin materials present inhomogeneities (edges, grain boundaries, multilayers, etc.) which strongly impact their physical and chemical properties. Thus their local characterization is essential. This thesis focuses on a recent enhanced-contrast optical microscopy technique, named BALM, based on ultrathin (2-5 nm) and strongly light-absorbing (metallic) anti-reflective layers. The goal is notably to evaluate the benefits of this technique for the study of 2D materials and their chemical reactivity. The various levers to improve 2D materials observation were investigated and optimized for two model materials: graphene oxide and MoS₂ monolayers. The investigation of molecular layer deposition dynamic notably showed the extreme sensitivity of BALM for such measurements and the significant contribution of multilayers anti-reflective coatings to enhance contrast during the observation of 2D materials. One of the main assets of BALM comes from its combination to other techniques. We particularly considered the coupling between optical measurements and electrochemistry for which the anti-reflective layer serves as working electrode. We investigated optically the dynamic of electrochemical reduction of Graphene Oxide (GO), the electrografting of organic layers by diazonium salts reduction on GO and its reduced form (rGO), as well as the intercalation of metallic ions within GO sheets. By combining versatility and high-contrast, BALM is established as a promising tool for the study of 2D materials, especially for the local and in situ characterization of their chemical and electrochemical reactivity.

In this report, we study how finite differences can be used to simulate acoustic wave propagation originating from a point source in the ocean using the Helmholtz equation. How to model sediment layers and the vast size of the ocean is studied in particular. The finite differences are implemented with summation by parts operators with boundary conditions enforced with simultaneous approximation terms and projection. The numerical solver is combined with the WaveHoltz method to improve the performance. Sediment layers are handled with interface conditions and the domain is artificially expanded using absorbing layers. The absorbing layer is implemented with an alternative approach to the super-grid method where the domain expansion is accomplished by altering the wave speed rather than with coordinate transformations. To isolate these issues, other parameters such as variations in the ocean floor are neglected. With this simplification, cylindrical coordinates are used and the angular variation is assumed to be zero. This reduces the problem to a quasi-three-dimensional system. We study how the parameters of the alternative absorbing layer approach affect its quality. The numerical solver is verified on several test cases and appears to work according to theory. Finally, a semi-realistic simulation is carried out and the solution seems correct in this setting.

Nanomaterials are playing an increasing role in novel technologies, and it is important to develop optical methods to characterize them in situ.  To that end, backside absorbing layer microscopy (BALM) has emerged as a powerful tool, being capable to resolve sub-nanometer height profiles, with video-rate acquisition speeds and a suitable geometry to couple live experiments.  In the internship, several techniques involving BALM were developed, and applied to study optical and electrical properties of the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayer MoS2, a type of 2-dimensional (2D) crystalline semiconductor.  A simulations toolkit was created in MATLAB to model BALM, a workflow to reliably extract linear intensities from the CMOS detector was realized, and 2D MoS2 was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition followed by transfer to appropriate substrates.  BALM data of the 2D MoS2 was acquired and combined with simulations, giving a preliminary result for its complex refractive index at 5 optical wavelengths.  In addition, the first steps towards coupling BALM with a gate biased 2D MoS2 field-effect transistor were explored.  To complement BALM measurements, the grown samples were also characterized by conventional optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.  This work provides new additions to an existing platform of BALM techniques, enabling novel BALM experiments with nanomaterial systems.  In particular, it introduces a new alternative for local extraction of optical parameters and for probing of electrical charging effects, both of which are vital in the research and development of nano-optoelectronics.

The work considers pulse wire-guided electromagnetic (EM) waves. The main contribution of the work is the original design of the isolation bushing for maximizing of the received wave (echo) thanks to the results of the numerical simulations, the acquirement of the new acknowledges of the reflections of the guided EM wave from the various boundaries, the construction of PML layers for FDTD simulations in rotational coordinates, the advances made in temporary excitation sources for FDTD and the formulation of the program code for FDTD in rotational coordinates in Matlab environment. The rightness of the numerical simulations was verified in practical experiments. The practical exploitation of the results is supposed in instrumentation and control technology - the level measurement in reservoirs.