Létude concerne une voie originale d'élaboration de matériaux composites à matrice métallique a propriétés structurales anisotropes. Elle consiste a orienter le renfort fibreux discontinu par l'action d'un champ magnétique intense et homogène. Afin de déterminer les paramètres d'orientation influents, l'équation du mouvement d'une fibre dans un fluide visqueux a été établie. Sa vérification a nécessité la réalisation d'un dispositif expérimental original. Trois couples fibres/matrice significatifs ont ete choisis (C/Cu, C/Ti, Al2O3/Ni). La mise en oeuvre du matériau composite par métallurgie des poudres implique la réalisation préalable, sous champ magnétique, de preimprégnés orientés. Les caractérisations physico-chimiques, thermiques et mécaniques entreprises montrent que les matériaux composites élaborés par cette voie présentent les caracteristiques anisotropes attendues.

We have investigated processes of ionization, energy absorption and subsequent explosion of atomic and molecular clusters under intense laser illumination using numerical as well as analytical methods. In particular, we focused on the response of composite clusters, those consisting of different atomic elements, to intense light pulses. Another major theme is the effect of the molecular structure of clusters on their Coulomb explosion. The action of intense laser pulses on clusters leads to fundamental, irreversible changes: they turn almost instantaneously into nanoplasmas and subsequently disintegrate into separate ions and electrons. Due to this radical transformation, remarkable new features arise. Transient cluster nanoplasmas are capable of absorbing enormous amounts of laser energy. In some cases more than 90 % of incident laser energy is absorbed by a gas of clusters with a density much smaller than that of a solid. After the efficient absorption, the energy is transformed into production of energetic ions, electrons, photons, and even neutrons. Composite clusters show especially interesting behavior when they interact with intense laser pulses. Nanoplasmas formed in composite clusters may absorb even more laser energy, than those formed in homogeneous clusters, as we demonstrate in this work. One of the most important results of this thesis is the identification of a novel type of plasma resonance. This resonance is enabled by an unusual ellipsoidal shape of the nanoplasma created during the ionization process in a helium droplet doped with just a few xenon atoms. In contrast to the conventional plasma resonance, which requires significant ion motion, here, the resonant energy absorption occurs at a remarkably fast rate, within a few laser cycles. Therefore, this resonance is not only the most efficient (like the conventional resonance), but also, perhaps, the fastest way to transfer laser energy to clusters. Recently, dedicated experimental studies of this effect were performed at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg. Their preliminary results confirm our prediction of a strong, avalanche-like ionization of the helium droplet with a small xenon cluster inside. A conventional plasma resonance, which relies on the cluster explosion, also exhibits interesting new properties when it occurs in a composite xenon-helium cluster with a core-shell geometry. We have revealed an intriguing double plasma resonance in this system. This was the first theoretical study of the influence of the helium embedding on the laser- driven nanoplasma dynamics. Our results demonstrate the important role of the interaction between xenon and helium parts of the cluster. Understanding this interaction is necessary in order to correctly interpret the experimental results. We have elucidated several important properties of Coulomb explosion in atomic and molecular clusters. Specifically, it was found that the kinetic energy distribution of ions after the Coulomb explosion of an atomic cluster is quite similar to the initial potential energy distribution of ions and is only weakly influenced by ion overtake effects, as was believed before. For the case of molecular hydrogen clusters, we have shown that the alignment of molecules inside the cluster affects its Coulomb explosion. Investigation of the dynamical processes in composite and molecular clusters induced by intense laser pulses is a step towards understanding them in more complex nano-objects, such as biomolecules or viruses. This is of great interest in the context of x-ray diffractive imaging of biomolecules with atomic resolution, which is one of the main goals of new x-ray free electron laser facilities.

<p>The development of a deuterium-deuterium/ tritium-deuterium (D-D/ D-T) pulsed neutron generator based on the principle of the Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PI3) technique is presented, in terms of investigating development of a compact system to generate an ultra short burst of mono-energetic neutrons (of order 1010 per second) during a short period of time (&lt / 20&mu / s) at repetition rates up to 1 kHz. The system will facilitate neutron detection techniques, such as neutron back-scattering, neutron radiography and time-of-flight activation analysis.</p> <p><br /> Aspects addressed in developing the system includes (a) characterizing the neutron spectra generated as a function of the target configuration/ design to ensure a sustained intense neutron flux for long periods of time, (b) the system was also characterised as a function of power supply operating conditions such as voltage, current, gas pressure and plasma density.</p>

Cette thèse est dédiée à l'étude des propriétés de magnéto-transport des gaz d'électrons bidimensionnel, et plus spécifiquement du graphène sur carbure de silicium (G/SiC) ainsi qu’à l'interface entre les oxydes complexes LaAlO3 (LAO) et SrTiO3 (STO). Nous exploitons la génération d’un champ magnétique intense (jusqu'à 80 T) et les très basses températures (jusqu'à 40 mK) pour étudier les propriétés de transport quantique, qui sont évocatrices de la structure de bandes électroniques sous-jacente. Dans G/SiC, à la limite du régime d’effet Hall quantique, nous mesurons un plateau de Hall ultra-large quantifié à R=h/2e² couvrant un champ magnétique de plus de 70 T (de 7 T à 80 T). La résistance longitudinale est proche de zéro mais présente, de manière inattendue, de faibles oscillations périodiques avec l’inverse du champ magnétique. Sur la base d’observations microscopiques, ce gaz d’électrons 2D est modélisé par une matrice de graphène ayant une densité de porteurs de charge faible, parsemée d’ilots de taille micrométrique ayant un dopage plus important. Les simulations numériques des propriétés de transport reproduisent bien le plateau de Hall et la présence des oscillations. Au-delà du substrat de SiC qui agit comme un réservoir de charge et stabilise le facteur de remplissage à ν=2, un transfert de charge dépendant du champ magnétique entre les ilots chargés est responsable de la présence des oscillations de la magnétorésistance. Cette étude originale fournit de nouvelles perspectives pour des applications en métrologie. Les propriétés remarquables des gaz d’électrons 2D à l'interface entre les oxydes complexes LAO et STO sont aujourd'hui envisagées pour le développement de futurs dispositifs multifonctionnels. Toutefois, leurs propriétés électroniques sont encore mal connues et nécessitent des recherches plus approfondies. Dans ces systèmes, la magnétorésistance montre des oscillations de Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) quasi-périodiques et un effet Hall linéaire jusqu'à 55 T à basse température. Nous observons une différence d’un ordre de grandeur entre la densité de porteurs extraite de la période des oscillations SdH et la pente de la résistance de Hall, impliquant la présence de nombreuses sous-bandes à l'énergie de Fermi. Les oscillations quasi-périodiques de la magnétorésistance sont bien reproduites par des simulations numériques prenant en compte l'effet Rashba à l'interface. De plus, à partir de l'évolution des oscillations SdH avec la tension de grille à très basse température (40mK), nous identifions les sous-bandes électroniques contribuant au transport, les orbitales atomiques dont elles dérivent, ainsi que leur localisation spatiale dans la profondeur de l'interface. / This thesis is devoted to the study of the magneto-transport properties of two dimensional electron gas (2DEG), and more specifically graphene on silicon carbide (G/SiC) as well as the interface between two complex oxides LaAlO3 / SrTiO3 (LAO/STO). We take advantage of very high magnetic field (up to 80 T) and very low temperature (down to 40 mK) to investigate the quantum transport properties, which are evocative of the underlying electronic band-structure. In G/SiC, close to the quantum Hall breakdown regime, we measure an ultra-broad quantum Hall plateau at R=h/2e² covering a magnetic field range of more than 70 T (from 7 T to 80 T). Accordingly, the longitudinal resistance is close to zero, but displays unexpected weak 1/B-periodic oscillations. Based on microscopic observations, this 2DEG is modeled as a low charge carrier density graphene matrix decorated by micrometers-size puddles with larger doping. Numerical simulations of the transport properties reproduce well both the broad Quantum Hall plateau and the presence of the oscillations. Besides the SiC substrate which acts as a charge reservoir and stabilizes the quantum Hall state at filling factor ν=2, a magnetic field dependent transfer of charges involving the puddles is responsible for the presence of the oscillating features. This original study provides new insights for resistance metrology purposes. The 2DEG arising at the interface between the complex oxides LAO and STO is nowadays envisioned for future multi-functional devices. Their electronic properties are still a matter of debate and require further investigations. The high field magneto-resistance of this 2DEG displays quasi-periodic Shubnikov-de Haas Oscillations (SdHO) and a linear Hall effect up to 55 T at low temperature. We observe a large discrepancy between the carrier density extracted from the period of the SdHO and the slope of the Hall resistance, which constitutes a strong evidence for the presence of many sub-bands crossing the Fermi energy. The quasi-periodic oscillations of the magneto-resistance are well reproduced by numerical simulations taking into account the strong Rashba effect at the interface. In addition, from the back-gate voltage evolution of the SdHO at sub-kelvin temperature, we identify the electronic sub-bands contributing to transport, the orbital symmetry from which they derive, as well as their spatial localization along the interface.

L’activité physique (AP) induit des nombreux bénéfices sur la santé. Cependant, le niveau d’inactivité reste important : 42% des Français ne pratiquent aucune AP de loisir. Plusieurs facteurs déterminent l’engagement durable dans l’AP. Cette thèse a pour objectif d’évaluer certains des facteurs susceptibles d’améliorer cet engagement : modalité d’exercice, réponse affective à l’exercice, motivation pour l’AP, et d’optimiser les réponses physiologique et affective à l’exercice.L’oxydation des lipides joue un rôle important dans la prévention et le traitement de certaines pathologies cardio-métaboliques. Des travaux récents montrent l’intérêt potentiel d’un programme d’exercice intermittent intense (EII) sur la diminution de la masse grasse. Nous avons tenté d’optimiser l’oxydation lipidique survenant au cours d’un exercice combiné (COMB : 10-min d’EII + 35-min d’exercice d’intensité modérée continu, EIMC) comparé à une séance d’EIMC prolongé. Ce protocole original induit une oxydation lipidique plus importante (1,5 fois) dans la phase de 35-min d’EIMC au cours de COMB que celle obtenue au cours d’un EIMC prolongé isocalorique. Cette étude montre l’intérêt de l’EII pour augmenter le métabolisme lipidique.La modalité d’exercice ainsi que la réponse affective à l’exercice sont importants pour l’engagement durable dans l’AP. L’étape suivante de ce travail de thèse a consisté donc à évaluer la réponse affective aux différentes modalités d’exercice aigus (EIMC vs EII, avec pic d’intensité au début, au milieu et à la fin, avec ou sans soutien de l’autonomie) chez les individus en surpoids/obèses et chez la personne âgée. Ces populations ont été choisies car elles sont peu enclines à faire de l’AP régulière, alors qu’elle est importante pour eux. Les résultats de ces études montrent que la réponse affective diminue progressivement au cours de l’exercice dans toutes les conditions. Cependant, cette diminution est moins importante dans les conditions avec soutien de l’autonomie (chez la personne âgée et chez les sujets sains) indiquant l’importance de ce facteur. D’autre part, le moment auquel le pic d’intensité apparait détermine la réponse affective qui est plus négative quand la séance se termine avec l’exercice le plus intense.Après avoir évalué les effets de l’exercice aigu sur la réponse affective à l’exercice chez la personne en surpoids/obèse, nous nous sommes intéressés aux effets de l’entraînement sur la condition physique, les variables cardio-métaboliques, la réponse affective et la motivation. Ainsi, la dernière partie de travail de recherche a consisté alors à examiner les effets à court et long terme de l’entrainement (exercice intermittent intense sans : EII, et avec soutien de l’autonomie : EII+SA vs EIMC et groupe contrôle). Les résultats montrent qu’après les deux modalités d’entrainement intermittent intense la condition physique était améliorée après 24 séances. Ce type d’exercice influence positivement la composition corporelle. Cependant, les indicateurs de santé cardio-métabolique n’ont pas été modifiés. L’EII induit un moindre niveau de difficulté perçu de l’effort quand il est combiné avec un soutien de l’autonomie.Cette thèse montre que certaines modalités d’exercice (EII et/ou exercice qui se termine avec une intensité moins importante) ainsi que le soutien de l’autonomie favorisent une réponse affective positive qui pourrait influencer un engagement durable à l’AP. Ceci reste cependant à être démontré. / Regular physical activity (PA) induces many health benefits. However, the level of inactivity remains high: in France 42% of the population do not engage in any sport or leisure time PA. Many factors are responsible for the long-term involvement in PA. The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate some of those factors (exercise modality, affective response to exercise, PA motivation) and to optimize the physiological and affective responses to exercise.Lipid oxidation plays an important role in the prevention and in the treatment of metabolic diseases. Recent studies show the effectiveness of high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) on body fat. In this study we sought to optimize the lipid oxidation during a combined exercise (COMB: 10-min HIIE + 35-min prolonged moderate intensity continuous exercise, MICE). The results of this innovative study shows that fat oxidation can be increased (1.5 times) during 35-min MICE of COMB compared to the same period of a prolonged MICE if it’s performed after high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) vs an isocaloric MICE alone. This study shows the importance of HIIE to increase fat metabolism.The type of exercise, as well as affective response to exercise are important in order to increase regular PA participation. In the next part of this thesis, we assessed the affective response to different exercise modalities (MICE vs HIIE, peak of intensity at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of exercise, exercise with or without autonomy support) in overweight/obese subjects and in older adults. These populations were chosen because of their low PA participation level despite of its importance for health. The results show the decrease of affective response in each type of exercise. However, this decrease was lower in all autonomy supportive conditions (in older adults and in healthy subjects) showing the importance of this factor. In addition, the peak intensity time influenced the affective response: more negative feelings were observed when the session ended with the peak of intensity.After examining the effects of acute exercise sessions on affective response in overweight/obese subjects, we focused on the effects of exercise training on physical fitness, cardio metabolic health, affective response and motivation. Hence, in the last part of this thesis we examined the short and long-term effects of HIIE training vs MICE and control group. The main results showed the increase in physical fitness after two high intensity conditions. In addition, HIIE improved body composition. However, the cardio metabolic health variables remained unchanged after 24 sessions. In addition, HIIE induced a lower level of perceived exertion during exercise when it was combined with autonomy support.The results of this thesis show that some of exercise modalities (HIIE and/or exercise that ends with lower intensity) and autonomy support promote more positive affective response and can potentially influence the long term PA engagement. But the latter needs to be demonstrated.

CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o comportamento das variáveis temperatura, umidade relativa do ar e precipitação da cidade de Uberlândia/MG. Foram utilizados dados diários das referidas variáveis, registrados pela Estação Meteorológica Convencional de Uberlândia, n° 83.257. No tratamento inicial, foi realizada organização e tabulação dos dados, tendo-se feito a validação e preenchimento de falhas. Posteriormente foi realizada estatística descritiva dos dados: valores mensais, anuais e quinquenais da temperatura média (máximo, média e mínimo), temperatura máxima (máxima absoluta e média), temperatura mínima (mínimo absoluto e média), umidade relativa do ar média (máximo, média e mínima), umidade relativa máxima (máxima e média) e umidade relativa mínima (mínimo e média) e as precipitações máximas diárias e totais anuais. Análise de frequência utilizando o método da Curva de Permanência permitiu identificar variações inter-quinquenais. Na distribuição de probabilidades de chuvas e construção do I-D-F e da Equação de Chuvas Intensas para a cidade os dados foram ajustados com a função densidade de probabilidade de Gumbel. Os resultados apontam que há tendências positivas (aumento) nos valores de Temperatura Máxima absoluta, com média do período de 35,9°C e amplitude de 3,1°C, e valores médios das décadas de 1980, 34,4°C, 1990, 35,5°C, 2000, 36,1°C e 2010 com 37,5°C; Temperatura Mínima, com média do período 7,3°C e amplitude de 3,6°C, e valores médios das décadas de 1980, 5,4°C, 1990, 6,7°C, 2000, 7,9°C e 2010 com 9°C; Temperatura Média, com média do período de 22,6°C e amplitude de 1,4°C, e valores médios das décadas de 1980, 22°C, 1990, 22,6°C, 2000, 22,8°C e 2010 com 23,4°C. Tendência negativa (redução) nos valores de Umidade Relativa Mínima, com média do período de 34% e amplitude de 10,8%, e valores médios das décadas de 1980 com 39,6%, 1990 com 34,4%, 2000 com 32,4% e 2010 com 28,8; Umidade Relativa Máxima sensível redução de 1,1%; e Umidade relativa Média, com média do período de 68% e amplitude de 5%, valores médios das décadas de 1980 com 70%, 1990 com 69%, 2000 com 68% e 2010 com 65%. Para a precipitação, nos últimos anos tem se registrado chuvas abaixo da média do período histórico que é de 1487 mm, e médias das décadas de 1980 de 1593 mm, 1990 com 1490 mm, 2000 com 1560 mm e 2010 com 1269 mm. A partir da década de 2010 foram intensificadas as sequências de dias sem chuva na estação chuvosa e sequências de dias sem chuva cada vez maiores. A partir do cálculo de equação de chuvas intensas e curvas I-D-F, foram encontrados os valores da constante de regressão “a” =330,4083, coeficiente de regressão “b” 0,1452 e média dos coeficientes de regressão para todos os retornos “c” c= -0,6164, resultando na Equação de Chuvas Intensas: I= (330,4083 x T0,1452)/t0,6164. Pelo gráfico I-D-F, são esperadas chuvas mais intensas nas primeiras horas de duração para períodos de retornos mais longos, por exemplo, para retorno de 100 anos, são esperadas chuvas com intensidade de 109 mm/h nos primeiros 15 minutos de duração do evento. / The objective of this work is to analyze the behavior of the varying temperatures, relative humidity and precipitation of the city of Uberlândia / MG. Daily data of these variables were used, recorded by the Uberlândia Conventional Weather Station, No. 83.257. In the initial steps, the data were organized and tabulated, with validation and filling in of the faults realized. Subsequently, a descriptive statistical analysis was performed: monthly, annual and quinquennial values of the mean temperature (maximum, average and minimum), maximum temperature (absolute maximum and average), minimum temperature (absolute minimum and average), relative humidity (maximum and average) and minimum relative humidity (minimum and average), and the maximum in 24 hours and total annual precipitation. Frequency analysis using the Permanence Curve method allowed the identification of inter-quinquennial variations. In the distribution of rainfall probabilities and construction of the I-D-F curves and the Intense Rainfall Equation for the city, the data were adjusted with Gumbel’s probability density function. The results indicate that there are positive trends (increase) in absolute maximum temperature values, with a mean of 35.9 ° C and a amplitude of 3.1 ° C, and mean values of the 1980s, 34.4 ° C, 1990, 35.5 ° C, 2000, 36.1 ° C and 2010 with 37.5 ° C; Minimum temperature, with a mean temperature of this period of 7.3 ° C and amplitude of 3.6°, and mean values of the 1980s , 5.4 ° C, 1990, 6.7 ° C, 2000, 7.9 ° C, and 2010 with 9°C; Mean temperature, with a mean in this period of 22,6°C and a amplitude of 1,4°C, and mean values of the 1980s, 22°C, 1990, 22,6°C, 2000, 22,8°C and 2010 with 23,4°C. Negative trend (reduction) in the values of Minimum Relative Humidity, with an average of 34% and amplitude of 10.8%, and average values of the 1980s with 39.6%, 1990 with 34.4%, 2000 with 32,4% and 2010 with 28.8%; Maximum Relative Humidity with a sensitive reduction of 1.1%; and Average Relative Humidity, with mean of 68% and amplitude of 5%, average values of the 1980s with 70%, 1990 with 69%, 2000 with 68% and 2010 with 65%. Concerning precipitation, in the last years rainfall has been registered below the average of the historical period that is of 1487 mm, and mean values of the decades of 1980 of 1593 mm, 1990 with 1490 mm, 2000 with 1560 mm and 2010 with 1269 mm. From the decade of 2010 the sequences of days without rainfall in the rainy season and sequences of days without rainfall were intensified. From the calculation of the intense rainfall equation and IDF curves, the values of the regression constant "a" = 330.4083, regression coefficient "b" 0.1452 and mean of the regression coefficients for all returns "c" "C = -0.6164, resulting in the Intense Rainfall Equation: I = (330.4083 x T0.1452) / t0.6164. Through the I-D-F graph, more intense rains are expected in the first few hours of duration for periods of longer returns, for example, for 100-year returns, rainfall of 109 mm / h is expected in the first 15 minutes of the event. / Dissertação (Mestrado)

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The development of a deuterium-deuterium/ tritium-deuterium (D-D/ D-T) pulsed neutron generator based on the principle of the Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PI3) technique is presented, in terms of investigating development of a compact system to generate an ultra short burst of mono-energetic neutrons (of order 1010 per second) during a short period of time (< 20μs) at repetition rates up to 1 kHz. The system will facilitate neutron detection techniques, such as neutron back-scattering, neutron radiography and time-of-flight activation analysis. Aspects addressed in developing the system includes (a) characterizing the neutron spectra generated as a function of the target configuration/ design to ensure a sustained intense neutron flux for long periods of time, (b) the system was also characterised as a function of power supply operating conditions such as voltage, current, gas pressure and plasma density. / South Africa

Le spectre électromagnétique possède une zone étroite, localisée entre les micro-ondes et l'infrarouge, appelée région des ondes térahertz (THz), qui est comprise entre 0.1 et 30 THz. Ces ondes, longtemps inaccessibles car situées à la frontière entre l'électronique et l'optique, connaissent aujourd'hui un intérêt grandissant et possèdent des applications prometteuses dans divers secteurs de la science comme l'imagerie médicale et l'identification des explosifs à distance. Cependant, la production de rayonnement THz intense, d'amplitude proche du GV/m, qui devrait permettre de sonder efficacement des matériaux à distance, reste encore une question en suspens. Cette thèse a précisément pour but d'étudier la génération d'un tel rayonnement THz par couplage de deux impulsions laser ultracourtes -une onde fondamentale et son harmonique deux- capables d'ioniser un gaz (par exemple, l'air ou l'argon). Le plasma ainsi créé joue le rôle de convertisseur nonlinéaire de fréquence, transformant une partie de l'énergie du champ laser dans la bande THz via une gamme riche de mécanismes physiques, notamment l'effet Kerr, la photoionization et les forces pondéromotrices induites dans le plasma. Grâce à un travail de modélisation analytique et numérique de ces principaux mécanismes, nous avons examiné de manière complète la génération d'impulsions THz pour des intensités allant de celles rencontrées en filamentation laser (10¹²-10¹⁴ W cm⁻²) jusqu'aux intensités relativistes (10¹⁵-10¹⁸ W cm⁻²), une fourchette d'intensités peu étudiée jusqu'à présent dans ce domaine. Il est déjà connu qu'à basses intensités la photoionization induite par le champ laser domine l'émission térahertz, laquelle dépend fortement de la configuration des couleurs (ou harmoniques) laser. Nous démontrons ici que, au-delà de la configuration laser ''classique'' à deux couleurs, coupler plusieurs fréquences laser suivant les harmoniques d'une forme d'onde en dents de scie est optimal pour renforcer la production de rayonnement. Les simulations prévoient une efficacité de conversion d'énergie THz de 2% avec quatre couleurs, valeur record inégalée à ce jour. De plus, en nous aidant d'une expérience faite dans l'air, nous identifions la signature de l'effet Kerr dans le spectre THz émis, qui, plus faible, se révèle complémentaire de la signature plasma. Quand l'intensité de l'impulsion laser est augmentée au-delà de 10¹⁵ W cm⁻², nous démontrons que le rayonnement térahertz émis croît de manière non-monotone, dû au fait qu'il existe une valeur d'intensité maximisant l'énergie THz produite par chaque couche électronique. Finalement, nous avons étudié en géométrie 2D l'effet combiné de la photoionization et des forces pondéromotrices plasma à des intensités proches de 10¹⁸ W cm⁻², nous permettant d'obtenir des champs THz excédant le GV/m dans l'argon. Ces dernières forces augmentent avec l'intensité laser et ouvrent des perspectives intéressantes pour la génération de champs térahertz très intenses dans le régime relativiste de l'interaction laser-matière. / The electromagnetic spectrum has a narrow frequency band, lying between microwaves and infrared, known as terahertz (THz) waves and extending from 0.1 to 30 THz. These waves, inaccessible until a recent past because they are situated at the boundary between electronics and optics, are raising interest because of their promising applications in several areas such as medical imaging and remote identification of explosives. However, producing intense THz radiation with amplitude belonging to the GV/m range should allow us to probe efficiently remote materials, which still remains an open issue. The goal of this thesis is precisely to study the generation of such intense THz radiation by coupling two ultrashort laser pulses -the fundamental and its second harmonic- able to ionize a gas target (for example, air or argon). The plasma created by photoionization then acts as a nonlinear frequency converter, transforming part of the laser energy into the THz band via a wide range of physical mechanisms including the Kerr effect, the photoionization and ponderomotive forces induced inside the plasma. By means of an analytical and numerical modeling of these key mechanisms, we have comprehensively examined the generation of THz pulses at laser intensities ranging from characteristic intensities met in laser filamentation (10¹²-10¹⁴ W cm⁻²) to sub-relativistic intensities (10¹⁵-10¹⁸ W cm⁻²), this latter intensity range having been little investigated so far in this domain. It is already known that at low intensities laser-induced photionization dominates in terahertzgeneration, which strongly depends on the configuration of the laser colours (or harmonics). We demonstrate here that, beyond the classical two-colour laser setup, coupling several laser frequencies following the harmonics of a sawtooth waveform is optimal to enhance THz production. Simulations predict a laser-to-THz energy conversion efficiency of 2% with four colours, a record value unequalled so far. Moreover, with an experiment realized in air, we identify the Kerr signature in the emitted THz spectrum, which, even weaker, looks complentary to the plasma signature. When the intensity of the laser pulse is increased beyond 10¹⁵ W cm⁻², we prove that the growth of the emitted terahertz radiation is nonmonotonic, due to the fact that that there exists an optimal intensity value that maximizes the THz energy produced by each electronic shell of the irradiated atom. Finally, we have studied in 2D geometry the combined effect of photoionization and ponderomotive forces at intensities close to 10¹⁸ W cm⁻², allowing us to obtain THz fields exceeding the GV/m threshold in argon. These latter forces increase with the laser intensity and thus open interesting perspectives for the generation of very intense terahertz fields in the relativistic regime of laser-matter interaction. / El espectro electromagnético posee una zona estrecha, localizada entre las microondas y la radiación infrarroja, llamada región de las ondas Terahertz (THz), que está comprendida entre 0.1 et 30 THz. Estas ondas, durante mucho tiempo inaccesibles debido a que se encuentran situadas en la frontera entre la electrónica y la óptica, están despertando un interés creciente por la gran cantidad de aplicaciones prometedoras que poseen en diversos sectores científicos, como la imagen médica y la identificación de explosivos a distancia. No obstante, la producción de radiación THz intensa, de amplitud cercana al GV/m, la cual debería permitir sondar materiales energéticos a distancia, sigue siendo una cuestión abierta. Esta tesis tiene precisamente como objetivo el estudio de la generación de dicha radiación THz intensa acoplando dos pulsos láser —una onda fundamental y su segundo armónico— capaces de ionizar un gas (por ejemplo, aire o argón). El plasma creado de este modo desempeña el papel de convertidor no lineal de frecuencia, transformando una parte de la energía del láser en la banda THz mediante una rica gama de mecanismos físicos, entre los que destacan el efecto Kerr, la fotoionización y las fuerzas ponderomotrices inducidas dentro del plasma. Gracias a un trabajo de modelización tanto numérico como analítico de estos mecanismos clave, hemos examinado de forma integral la generación de pulsos THz a intensidades láser yendo desde las encontradas en la filamentación láser (10¹²-10¹⁴ W cm⁻²) hasta las cercanas al límite relativista (10¹⁵-10¹⁸ W cm⁻²), habiendo sido este último rango de intensidades poco estudiado en este campo hasta el presente. Ya es sabido que a bajas intensidades la fotoionización inducida por el láser domina la emisión Terahertz, la cual depende enormemente de la configuración de los colores (o armónicos) del láser. Demostramos aquí que, más allá de la “clásica” configuración del láser en dos colores, acoplar varias fréquencias láser siguiendo los armónicos de una forma de onda en diente de sierra es óptimo para incrementar la producción THz. Las simulaciones predicen una eficacia de conversión de energía THz de 2% empleando cuatro colores, un valor récord inigualado hasta hoy. Además, ayudándonos de un experimento realizado en aire, identificamos la firma del effecto Kerr en el espectro THz emitido, la cual, pese a ser más débil, resulta complementaria a la firma del plasma. Cuando se aumenta la intensidad del láser más allá de 10¹⁵ W cm⁻², demostramos que la radiación Terahertz emitida crece de manera no monotóna, debido a que existe un valor de intensidad que maximiza la energía THz producida por cada capa electrónica. Finalmente, hemos estudiado en geometría 2D el efecto conjunto de la fotoionización y de las fuerzas ponderomotrices a intensidades próximas a 10¹⁸ W cm⁻², lo que nos permite obtenter campos THz cuyas amplitudes exceden el GV/m en argon. Estas últimas fuerzas aumentan con la intensidad láser y, por tanto, ofrecen perspectivas interesantes para la generación de campos Terahertz muy intensos en un régimen de interacción láser-materia relativista.

Les alliages de cuivre sont utilisés dans de nombreuses applications électriques car ils offrent un bon compromis de résistance mécanique, de résistance à la corrosion et de conductivité électrique. Cependant pour certaines applications comme les contacteurs électriques, des matériaux plus performants sont recherchés. L’affinement de la taille de grains et l’implantation ionique sont deux voies que nous avons explorées dans ce but. Afin d’obtenir un bon compromis entre la dureté, la résistance à la corrosion et la conductivité électrique du cuivre pur (99,90%) et un bronze commercial monophasé contenant 8 % massique d’étain ont été nanostructurés par déformation plastique intense, et ensuite implantés à l’azote. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié l’évolution de la dureté des matériaux que nous avons corrélée aux changements microstructuraux induits par déformation plastique intense. Grâce à la microscopie électronique en transmission (MET) et la diffraction des rayons X (DRX), nous avons pu mettre en évidence la formation de grains ultrafins. Et nous avons prouvé que la solution solide CuSn métastable n’était pas décomposée au cours de la déformation. Par ailleurs, il a été montré que l’étain en solution solide favorise l’affinement des grains et que la déformation du CuSn8 à des vitesses plus rapides limite la restauration dynamique des défauts en engendrant une plus grande dureté. Un modèle qualitatif prenant en compte la production et l’annihilation de dislocations a été développé permettant de prédire l’influence des paramètres procès sur l’évolution de la microstructure et de la dureté. La stabilité thermique des nanostructures formées par déformation intense a également été étudiée, notamment par calorimétrie différentielle à balayage. Il a été montré que l’ajout d’étain en solution solide retarde la recristallisation alors que la densité de défauts et donc la force motrice est plus importante. Le Cu et le CuSn8 recristallisés et à grains ultrafins ont été implantés à l’azote. Il a été montré par nanoindentation que les duretés superficielles du Cu recristallisé et du Cu nanostructuré augmentent significativement après implantation. Nous avons mis en évidence par MET (SAED, STEM HAADF et EELS) la formation de nitrures de cuivre qui sont à l’origine du durcissement superficiel. Des nitrures de cuivre ont été également été formés dans le CuSn8 alors qu’aucun nitrure d’étain n’a été détecté. Par ailleurs, il est intéressant de noter que les défauts et notamment les mâcles formées après déformation intense semblent favoriser la diffusion de l’azote et être des sites de germination préférentielle des nitrures de cuivre. / Copper is the most used material in electrical field applications. For electrical contacts, its oxidation behavior, thermal stability and hardness is essential. In this work, we attempted to find the key to make strong, but also conductive metal with a high corrosion resistance by finding an appropriate copper microstructure and surface treatment. It is well known that material properties are determined by their microstructure. Also, it was seen that nitride films enhance the oxidation resistance and the surface hardness. Therefore, to achieve our goal, pure copper and a bronze alloy Cu-8wt. %Sn have been subjected to high pressure torsion to make ultra-fine-grains and the surface was then implanted with nitrogen ions. We have investigated the effect of deformation on the hardness and the thermal stability by Vickers microhardness and DSC measurements. It is shown that tin in solid solution delay the recrystallization of the UFG produced by HPT. Tin also promotes the grain refinement and limit the dynamic annihilation during HPT deformation. Furthermore, a correlation between the properties and the microstructure was done by SEM and TEM analyses. A qualitative model taking into account the production and annihilation of dislocations has been developed to predict the influence of process parameters on the evolution of microstructure and hardness. Recrystallized and UFG Cu and CuSn8 were implanted with nitrogen. It has been shown by nanoindentation that their surface hardness increase significantly after implantation. TEM analyses (SAED, STEM HAADF and EELS) demonstrated the formation of copper nitrides which cause superficial hardening. Copper nitrides were also formed in CuSn8 whereas no tin nitride was detected. Moreover, it is interesting to note that the defects (in particular deformation twins) seem to be preferential nucleation sites for copper nitrides.

We have investigated processes of ionization, energy absorption and subsequent explosion of atomic and molecular clusters under intense laser illumination using numerical as well as analytical methods. In particular, we focused on the response of composite clusters, those consisting of different atomic elements, to intense light pulses. Another major theme is the effect of the molecular structure of clusters on their Coulomb explosion. The action of intense laser pulses on clusters leads to fundamental, irreversible changes: they turn almost instantaneously into nanoplasmas and subsequently disintegrate into separate ions and electrons. Due to this radical transformation, remarkable new features arise. Transient cluster nanoplasmas are capable of absorbing enormous amounts of laser energy. In some cases more than 90 % of incident laser energy is absorbed by a gas of clusters with a density much smaller than that of a solid. After the efficient absorption, the energy is transformed into production of energetic ions, electrons, photons, and even neutrons. Composite clusters show especially interesting behavior when they interact with intense laser pulses. Nanoplasmas formed in composite clusters may absorb even more laser energy, than those formed in homogeneous clusters, as we demonstrate in this work. One of the most important results of this thesis is the identification of a novel type of plasma resonance. This resonance is enabled by an unusual ellipsoidal shape of the nanoplasma created during the ionization process in a helium droplet doped with just a few xenon atoms. In contrast to the conventional plasma resonance, which requires significant ion motion, here, the resonant energy absorption occurs at a remarkably fast rate, within a few laser cycles. Therefore, this resonance is not only the most efficient (like the conventional resonance), but also, perhaps, the fastest way to transfer laser energy to clusters. Recently, dedicated experimental studies of this effect were performed at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg. Their preliminary results confirm our prediction of a strong, avalanche-like ionization of the helium droplet with a small xenon cluster inside. A conventional plasma resonance, which relies on the cluster explosion, also exhibits interesting new properties when it occurs in a composite xenon-helium cluster with a core-shell geometry. We have revealed an intriguing double plasma resonance in this system. This was the first theoretical study of the influence of the helium embedding on the laser- driven nanoplasma dynamics. Our results demonstrate the important role of the interaction between xenon and helium parts of the cluster. Understanding this interaction is necessary in order to correctly interpret the experimental results. We have elucidated several important properties of Coulomb explosion in atomic and molecular clusters. Specifically, it was found that the kinetic energy distribution of ions after the Coulomb explosion of an atomic cluster is quite similar to the initial potential energy distribution of ions and is only weakly influenced by ion overtake effects, as was believed before. For the case of molecular hydrogen clusters, we have shown that the alignment of molecules inside the cluster affects its Coulomb explosion. Investigation of the dynamical processes in composite and molecular clusters induced by intense laser pulses is a step towards understanding them in more complex nano-objects, such as biomolecules or viruses. This is of great interest in the context of x-ray diffractive imaging of biomolecules with atomic resolution, which is one of the main goals of new x-ray free electron laser facilities.:1. Introduction 1 2. Interaction of clusters with intense laser pulses 5 2.1. Cluster formation and structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.1. Cluster formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.2. Cluster structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2.1.3. Composite clusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.2. Matter in intense light fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.2.1. Laser sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.2.2. Atoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.3. Clusters under intense laser pulses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2.3.1. Three stages of intense laser-cluster interaction . . . . . 12 2.3.2. Pathways of cluster ionization and energy absorption . . 13 2.3.3. Composite clusters in intense laser fields . . . . . . . . . 14 2.4. Scenarios of cluster explosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.4.1. Coulomb explosion vs. quasi-neutral expansion . . . . . 15 2.4.2. Anisotropic explosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.5. Comparison between experiment and theory . . . . . . . . . . . 18 3. Theoretical methods for intense laser-cluster interaction 21 3.1. The Hamiltonian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3.2. Survey of simulation methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 3.2.1. Quantum methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 3.2.2. Classical methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3.3. Our method: classical microscopic molecular dynamics . . . . . 24 3.3.1. Initial configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3.3.2. Integrating the equations of motion . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 3.3.3. Observables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 3.4. The role of quantum effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 4. Cluster nanoplasma: a statistical approach 33 4.1. Vlasov-Poisson formalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 4.2. Nanoplasma electrons at quasi-equilibrium . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 4.2.1. Self-consistent potential and electron density . . . . . . . 34 4.2.2. Energy distribution of nanoplasma electrons . . . . . . . 36 4.3. Harmonic oscillator model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 4.3.1. Derivation from kinetic equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 4.3.2. Comparison with the molecular dynamics results . . . . 44 4.4. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 5. Ionization and energy absorption in helium droplets doped with xenon clusters 47 5.1. Local ignition and anisotropic nanoplasma growth . . . . . . . . 48 5.1.1. Cluster size dependence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 5.1.2. Nanoplasma resonance during its anisotropic growth . . 51 5.1.3. Range of laser frequencies and intensities . . . . . . . . . 55 5.1.4. Plasma resonance for circular polarization . . . . . . . . 56 5.1.5. Summary and future work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 5.2. Electron migration and its influence on the cluster expansion . . 59 5.2.1. Charging dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 5.2.2. Explosion dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 5.3. Interplay between nanoplasma expansion and its electronic response 63 5.3.1. Single pulse: time-dependence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 5.3.2. Two pulses: a pump-probe study . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 5.4. Conclusions and outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 6. Coulomb explosions of atomic and molecular clusters 75 6.1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 6.2. Analytical treatment of the Coulomb explosion . . . . . . . . . . 76 6.2.1. Steplike density profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 6.2.2. Kinetic approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 6.2.3. Gradually decreasing initial density . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 6.3. Coulomb explosions of atomic and molecular hydrogen clusters: a molecular dynamics study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 6.3.1. Kinetic energy distributions of ions (KEDI) . . . . . . . 85 6.3.2. Information loss during the explosion . . . . . . . . . . . 87 6.3.3. Ion overtake processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 6.3.4. Non-radial motion of ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 6.3.5. Three-body effects in Coulomb explosion . . . . . . . . . 93 6.4. Conclusions and outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 7. Conclusions and outlook 97 7.1. Physical conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 7.2. Methodological conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 7.3. Research perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 A. Suppression of the cluster barrier 101 B. Structure determination for Xen@Hem clusters 103 C. Calculation of the time-dependent phase shift 107 D. Potential of a uniformly charged spheroid 109 E. On the possibility of molecular alignment inside hydrogen clusters 111 Bibliography