School contents

The teaching approach of the school aims at decompartmentalizing scientific and technological advances relating to ultra-sensitive mechanical systems and their potential for redeployment at to other research themes. The school program is thus based on 5 main axes within which the tools and technologies associated with ultra-sensitive mechanical measurements play a key role. These axes are as follows (click on the lecturers' names down below to access the their program overview - information daily updated):

 - Fundamental forces: this axis is devoted to the most fundamental forces likely to be measured and/or to limit ultra-sensitive mechanical measurements, such as Casimir force and torque.

Lecturers: Mark Dykman, Serge Reynaud, P-F. Cohadon

 - A fresh look at statistical physics: this axis aims to recontextualize ultra-sensitive measurements from the point of view of what they provide and the new fundamental questions they raise in thermodynamics and statistical physics of out-of-equilibrium mechanical systems.

Lecturers: Alexia Auffèves, Sergio Ciliberto, Mark Raizen

 - Mechanical and standard measurements: this axis will focus on the use of ultra-sensitive mechanical measurements for the establishment of new metrological standards, as well as for their applications to extremely sensitive measurements (such as spectroscopy in diluted medium and bio-mechanics).

Lecturers: Tristan Briant, Vincent Croquette, Franz Giessibl

- Applied nanomechanics: this axis will focus on nanomechanical systems, their specificities (sensitivity to the environment, non-linearities and fluctuations) and the interest of their integration within new “hybrid” devices (ie coupled with quantum emmitters ).

Lecturers: Anja Jayich, Eva Weig, Kamil Ekinci

 - New mechanical systems: this axis will present the concepts of the most recent mechanical systems (such as superfluid helium, levitating optomechanical systems, etc...) and the challenges and perspectives raised by this new generation of devices.

Lecturers: Andrew N. Cleland, Jack Harris, Lukas Novotny