Members:

Assaad (Pr.), F. Benmeddour (MCF), L. Chehami (MCF), C. Delebarre (Pr.), M. Duquennoy (Pr.), F. Jenot (Pr., head of the group), E. Moulin (Pr.), M. Ouaftouh (Pr.), M. Ourak (Pr.), B. Piwakowski (Pr.), W.-J. Xu (MCF)

The research activities of the TPIA group concern the field of physical acoustics. The main objectives are to understand the interactions of ultrasonic waves with matter, propose different methods of analysis (inverse problems) adapted to monitoring structure integrity and material properties, model the behaviour of ultrasonic sources and their interactions with materials and develop tools for the optimal design of systems.

The cutting-edge research conducted by the TPIA group is based on the skills and expertise accumulated over more than 35 years within the Opto-Acousto-Electronics Department (DOAE) in the field of ultrasound and their applications in different areas. The group’s research activities cover both fundamental and technological innovations in systems. They are very open to technological progress (microelectronics, MEMS) and deal with topics of fundamental nature or linked to industrial needs by adopting a balanced approach between modelling, experimentation, and inverse problems resolution. These research activities are all the more important with the emergence of new materials such as functional surface materials (coated with fine or thin layers) and materials with property gradients (commonly used in the field of transport for example), as well as socio-economic issues related to industrial developments.

The TPIA group’s topics pertain to Physical and Engineering Sciences. They are organized around one theme: « Guided acoustics and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) ».

It covers a broad spectrum in the field of ultrasound, from wave generation to inverse problems and imaging. The activities are well-established and have their own sources of funding and collaborations. One of the goals is to improve and optimize the characterization of various structures using the properties of surface acoustic waves and Lamb-type modes. It consists in developing methods of characterization based on the use of dispersion phenomena to finally obtain geometric and/or mechanical characteristics of structures. The resulting applications are related to many sectors of activity from microelectronics to transportation. Non-contact excitation and detection methods can be considered in pulsed or harmonic regimes. A wide range of samples, from granular materials to thin films, were investigated. It also relies on the characterization processes and/or devices developed.

The main thematic areas are: