With strong links in France's Aquitaine region, Institut d'Optique Graduate School is opening a third laboratory in Bordeaux. Known as LP2N, this laboratory will develop new areas of research at the interface between photonics and virtual and augmented reality.

Created yesterday by Institut d'Optique Graduate School, Université Bordeaux 1 and CNRS (France's National Centre for Scientific Research), the Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (LP2N) is a new joint research laboratory dedicated to photonics, digital technology and nanosciences. Headed by Philippe Bouyer, a senior researcher at CNRS, the LP1N laboratory is part of Institut d’Optique Graduate School's Bordeaux arm, which is scheduled to move into a new building commissioned by the Aquitaine Regional Council at the end of 2012. Research at LP2N will focus on complex systems in which optics and computing play essential roles. Its researchers will conduct experiments on nanophotonics, biophotonics, matter waves and information processing in six areas:

• Headed by Brahim Lounis, a professor at Université Bordeaux 1, research on photons and nanosystems will investigate microscale optical and quantum phenomena which involve quantum nano-optics, plasmonics and near-field optics as well as nanosystems in general.
• Headed by Philippe Bouyer, research on matter waves, atom lasers and microsystems will investigate optical phenomena that no longer use just photons but also atoms in the state in which wave properties play a fundamental role.
• Headed by Philippe Lalanne, a senior researcher at CNRS (France's National Centre for Scientific Research), research on artificial and quantum materials will investigate the modelling and creation of new optical or quantum materials.
• Headed by Laurent Cognet, a senior researcher at CNRS, research on optics and biology will focus on the development of new approaches to optical nanomicroscopy and their applications in various fields of biophysics and biology.
• Conducted in close collaboration with LaBRI, a computer research laboratory based in Bordeaux, research on instrumentation, hybrid systems, and augmented reality will look at new concepts in virtual reality, intelligent sensors and optical feedback systems.
• Headed by CNRS Research Engineer Giorgio Santarelli, research on instrument development and transfer will develop applied and instrument projects for transferring technology to industry. These projects will be based on the laboratory's work, which will result in the development of many custom instruments.

For more information:
LP2N - Laboratoire Photonique, Numériques et Nanosciences, UMR5298 - Institut d'Optique Graduate School - Université Bordeaux 1 - CNRS