Institute for Nanoscience and Cryogenics

Engin Molva
Head of Institute

On January 1st, 2008, DRFMC became INAC

By changing to « Institute for Nanoscience and Cryogenics », former « Department of basic research in condensed matter » adapts its title to its present programs and dynamics. The name change affects neither the internal structure, nor the organization, nor the scientific policy. It is the result of a process launched by the director-general of the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), aiming to give the divisions of the CEA more appropriate designations in terms of research, especially in English.

With 500 people in 6 laboratories, all of them being joint units with University Joseph Fourier, and some of them with CNRS and Grenoble-INP, Inac is a major player in basic research. Most of its activities in physics, chemistry, and at the interface with biology, gather under the appellation nanoscience. Nanoscience and condensed matter represent 75% of the institute’s programs, cryogenics around 15% and the development of research tools 10%.

Inac is carrying out three main missions. Basic research of scientific excellence, acknowledged by 350 publications per year in international scientific journals; education and training with almost 2/5 of the members being PhD students, postdocs or undergraduates, and a contribution from CEA researchers to the teaching in the Universities and to the creation of a master degree in nanoscience ; applications of scientific results with around 15 patent deposits per year, and the creation of start-ups.

Inac’s expertise specially encompasses nanomaterials, micro-nanophotonics, spintronics, nanomagnetism, superconductivity, nanoelectronics, theory and simulation, biochips, DNA damages. Inac is strongly involved in cryogenic studies for ESA programs, for large facilities as ITER and Laser Megajoule. Finally, Inac takes an active part in the development of the platform for nanocharacterization, the PTA (a clean room for basic research), and in the use of large facilities as ESRF, ILL and Soleil.