LNCMI Grenoble.

Published on Mar 2, 2018.

I am a PhD student in my final year at the Grenoble high magnetic field laboratory (LNCMI-G). During the three years I spent in our lab, my research topic was mainly focused on the optical properties of the two-dimensional (2D) carbon-based material graphene, under strong magnetic fields. After a bachelor degree in fundamental physics at the University of Science and technology in Algiers (Algeria), I had the chance to come to France to pursue a Master thesis in condensed matter physics at the University of Strasbourg. In order to complete my Master degree, I applied for an internship of a few months at LNCMI-G for a scientific project focused on the magneto-optical properties of graphene-based heterostructures.

The experiments using the magnetic field facility of our lab hooked me up and I decided to pursue a PhD degree at LNCMI-G. The static magnetic field up to 36 T provided by the resistive magnets at LNCMI-G makes it one of the few labs in the world providing such an opportunity for high-field measurements. During this period, I worked in a very dynamical environment with strong international collaborations.

Our team is composed of highly qualified scientists, each one exploring the physical properties of a specific material, but with many overlaps from which new ideas are always generated. In my PhD, I had the chance to measure some very exciting data from the study of graphene multilayers with a peculiar symmetry of its crystal structure. Our studies focus on measuring the evolution of the electronic excitations as a function of magnetic field. This technique allows us to probe the energy structure of materials and to deduce their physical properties.

My project for the future will be to pursue a postdoc in a foreign country. This for sure will allow me to deepen my knowledge on physics and in material science in general. But one thing is for sure, I am counting on keeping a strong collaboration with the researchers at LNCMI-G and eventually to come again for exciting high magnetic field experiments.