Out of Equilibrium Soft Matter

Soft matter macroscopical properties often originate from small scale phenomena. As an example, wetting or adhesion can be explained by the presence of short range forces. In many situations, a mesoscopical scale can account for the observed behaviours. This is the case for mineral fillers reinforced elastomers: properties of the polymer layers confined (?) between the fillers are of primary importance to explain the mechanical characteristics of the material. This is also the case of ultra-thin polymer films with a thickness of the order of the macromolecule gyration radius. The research activities of the team "Out of Equilibrium Soft Matter" focus on systems in which a mesoscopical scale contributes primarily to several properties like plasticity, friction or reinforcement. The studied phenomena encompass the physics of glassy materials, interface physics or mechanics of heterogeneous systems.