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Exerting forces on biomolecules inside living cells would allow us to probe their dynamic interactions in their native environment. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles represent a unique tool capable of pulling on biomolecules with the application of an external magnetic field gradient; however, their use has been restricted to biomolecules accessible from the extracellular medium. Targeting intracellular biomolecules represents an additional challenge due to potential nonspecific interactions with cytoplasmic or nuclear components. We present the synthesis of sulfobetaine-phosphonate block copolymer ligands, which provide magnetic nanoparticles which are stealthy and targetable in living cells. We demonstrate for the first time their efficient targeting in the nucleus and their use for magnetic micromanipulation of a specific genomic locus in living cells. We believe that these stable and furtive magnetic nanoprobes represent a promising tool to manipulate specific biomolecules in living cells and probe the mechanical properties of living matter at the molecular scale.

The creep behavior of an amorphous poly(etherimide) (PEI) polymer is investigated in the vicinity of its glass transition in a weakly non linear regime where the acceleration of the creep response is driven by local configurational rearrangements. From the time shifts of the creep compliance curves under stresses from 1 to 15~\si{\mega\pascal} and in the temperature range between $T_g -10K$ and $T_g$, where $T_g$ is the glass transition, we determine a macroscopic acceleration factor. The macroscopic acceleration is shown to vary as $e^{-(\Sigma/Y)^n} $ with $n=2 \pm 0.2$, where $\Sigma$ is the macroscopic stress and $Y$ is a decreasing function of compliance. Because at the beginning of creep, the stress is homogeneous, the macroscopic acceleration is thus similar to the local one, in agreement with the recent theory of Long \textit{et al.} (\textit{Phys. Rev. Mat.} (2018) \textbf{2}, 105601 ) which predicts $n=2$. For larger compliances, the decrease of the of $Y$ is interpreted as a signature of the development of stress disorder during creep., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2403.00355

Emulsion droplets of silicone oil (PDMS) are widely used as antifoaming agents but, in the case of non-aqueous foams, the mechanisms responsible for the bursting of the films separating the bubbles remain unclear. We consider a ternary non-aqueous liquid mixture in which PDMS-rich microdroplets are formed by spontaneous emulsification. In order to quantitatively assess the effect of the emulsified microdroplets, we measure the lifetime of sub-micrometer-thick suspended films of these emulsions as well as the time variations of their thickness profiles. We observe that a droplet entering the film reduces its lifetime by inducing a local and fast thinning. In most cases, we ascribe it to the spreading of the drop at one of the film interface with air, which drags the underlying liquid and causes eventually the film to burst rapidly. We explain why, despite slower spreading, more viscous droplets cause films to burst more efficiently. More rarely, microdroplets may bridge the two interfaces of the film, resulting in an even more efficient bursting of the film that we explain.

The creep behavior of an amorphous poly(etherimide) (PEI) polymer is investigated in the vicinity of its glass transition in a weakly non linear regime where the acceleration of the creep response is driven by local configurational rearrangements. From the time shifts of the creep compliance curves under increasing applied stresses in the range 1-15~\si{\mega\pascal}, we determine a macroscopic acceleration factor. At the start of creep, the stress is homogeneous and the macroscopic acceleration can be assimilated to that of the local rearrangements which is shown to vary as $f=e^{-(\sigma/Y)^n} $ with $n=2 \pm 0.2$, where $\sigma$ is the local stress and $Y$ is a decreasing function of compliance. This experimental result is in agreement with the recent theory of Long \textit{et al.} (\textit{Phys. Rev. Mat.} (2018) \textbf{2}, 105601 ) which predicts $n=2$. From a mean field approximation, we interpret the variation of $Y$ with compliance as the result of the development of stress heterogneities during creep.

In binary mixtures, the lifetimes of surface bubbles can be five orders of magnitude longer than those in pure liquids because of slightly different compositions of the bulk and the surfaces, leading to a thickness-dependent surface tension of thin films. Taking profit of the resulting simple surface rheology, we derive the equations describing the thickness, flow velocity and surface tension of a single liquid film. Numerical resolution shows that, after a first step of tension equilibration, a parabolic flow with mobile interfaces is associated with film pinching in a further drainage step. Our model paves the way for a better understanding of the rupture dynamics of liquid films., Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures

Nanometer-thick supported lms of polymer melts spontaneously form and spread around sessile droplets that are deposited on oxidized silicon wafers. At steady state, the lms become dense and adopt a uniform thickness which is equal to twice the gyration radius of the free polymer. Remarkably, this law applies to a wide variety of melts and does not depend on the polymer chemistry nor on the surface state (oxide layer thickness, temperature, presence of water adsorbed, etc.). We show that existing theoretical descriptions cannot reproduce this experimental result. Conversely, the evolution toward this equilibrium state witnesses the specicity of the interactions at stake in these conned polymer lms. The chains spreading dynamics can be modeled by taking into account both the polymer/surface friction and the polymer/polymer friction., Comment: Macromolecules, inPress

We investigate the photon statistics of the light emitted by single self-assembled hybrid gold-CdSe/CdS/CdZnS colloidal nanocrystal supraparticles through the detailed analysis of the intensity autocorrelation function $g^{(2)}(\tau)$. We first reveal that, despite the large number of nanocrystals involved in the supraparticle emission, antibunching can be observed. We then present a model based on non-coherent F\"orster energy transfer and Auger recombination that well captures photon antibunching. Finally, we demonstrate that some supraparticles exhibit a bunching effect at short time scales corresponding to coherent collective emission.

When a drop laden with solid particles and suspended in a liquid passes through a narrow pore, its interface experiences strong shear and elongation, and the raft of particles may accumulate toward the back of the drop. Using well controlled formulations of Pickering drops driven at set pressure, we determine the two conditions for which solid particles are expelled from the oil-water interface after a Pickering drop passes a converging-diverging pore: (i) particles accumulation at the rear of the drop is such that surface pressure builds-up at the interface. (ii) Surface pressure relaxation by buckling is impaired by geometrical constraints. These two conditions are rationalized using three non dimensional numbers: the capillary number, the particle to pore size ratio, and the drop to particle size ratio, which allow to account for the viscous shear at the interface, the stability of the lubricating film between the pore wall and the drop, the drag on the raft of particles adsorbed at the interface, and its mechanical behaviour.

We report on the synthesis of hybrid light emitting particles with a diameter ranging between 100 and 500 nm, consisting in a compact semiconductor CdSe/CdS/CdZnS nanocrystal aggregate encapsulated by a controlled nanometric size silica and gold layers. We first characterize the Purcell decay rate enhancement corresponding to the addition of the gold nanoshell as a function of the particle size and find a good agreement with the predictions of numerical simulations. Then, we show that the contribution corresponding to F\"orster resonance energy transfer is inhibited.

Perpendicular shape anisotropy (PSA) and double magnetic tunnel junctions (DMTJ) offer practical solutions to downscale spin-transfer-torque Magnetic Random-Access Memory (STT-MRAM) beyond 20 nm technology nodes, whilst retaining their thermal stability and reducing critical currents applied. However, as these modern devices become smaller and three-dimensionally (3D) complex, our understanding of their functional magnetic behavior is often indirect, relying on magnetoresistance measurements and micromagnetic modelling. In this paper, we review recent work that was performed on these structures using a range of advanced electron microscopy techniques, focusing on aspects specific to the 3D and nanoscale nature of such elements. We present the methodology for the systematic transfer of individual SST-MRAM nano-pillars from large-scale arrays to image their magnetic configurations directly using off-axis electron holography. We show that improved phase sensitivity through stacking of electron holograms can be used to image subtle variations in DMTJs and the thermal stability of < 20 nm PSA-STT-MRAM nano-pillars during in-situ heating. The experimental practicalities, benefits and limits of using electron holography for analysis of MRAM devices are discussed, unlocking practical pathways for direct imaging of the functional magnetic performance of these systems with high spatial resolution and sensitivity., Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures

Perpendicular shape anisotropy (PSA) offers a practical solution to downscale spin-transfer torque Magnetic Random-Access Memory (STT-MRAM) beyond the sub-20 nm technology node whilst retaining thermal stability of the storage layer magnetization. However, our understanding of the thermomagnetic behavior of PSA-STT-MRAM is often indirect, relying on magnetoresistance measurements and micromagnetic modelling. Here, the magnetism of a FeCoB / NiFe PSA-STT-MRAM nano-pillar is investigated using off-axis electron holography, providing spatially resolved magnetic information as a function of temperature, which has been previously inaccessible. Magnetic induction maps reveal the micromagnetic configuration of the NiFe storage layer (60 nm high, 20 nm diameter), confirming the PSA induced by its 3:1 aspect ratio. In-situ heating demonstrates that the PSA of the FeCoB / NiFe composite storage layer is maintained up to at least 250 degrees centigrade, and direct quantitative measurements reveal the very moderate decrease of magnetic induction with temperature. Hence, this study shows explicitly that PSA provides significant stability in STT-MRAM applications that require reliable performance over a range of operating temperatures.

The concept of perpendicular shape anisotropy spin-transfer torque magnetic random-access memory (PSA-STT-MRAM) consists in increasing the storage layer thickness to values comparable to the cell diameter, to induce a perpendicular shape anisotropy in the magnetic storage layer. Making use of that contribution, the downsize scalability of the STT-MRAM may be extended towards sub-20 nm technological nodes, thanks to a reinforcement of the thermal stability factor $\Delta$. Although the larger storage layer thickness improves $\Delta$, it is expected to negatively impact the writing current and switching time. Hence, optimization of the cell dimensions (diameter, thickness) is of utmost importance for attaining a sufficiently high $\Delta$ while keeping a moderate writing current. Micromagnetic simulations were carried out for different pillar thicknesses of fixed lateral size 20 nm. The switching time and the reversal mechanism were analysed as a function of the applied voltage and aspect-ratio (AR) of the storage layer. For AR $<$ 1, the magnetization reversal resembles a macrospin-like mechanism, while for AR $>$ 1 a non-coherent reversal is observed, characterized by the nucleation of a transverse domain wall at the ferromagnet/insulator interface which then propagates along the vertical axis of the pillar. It was further observed that the inverse of the switching time is linearly dependent on the applied voltage. This study was extended to sub-20 nm width with a value of $\Delta$ around 80. It was observed that the voltage necessary to reverse the magnetic layer increases as the lateral size is reduced, accompanied with a transition from macrospin-reversal to a buckling-like reversal at high aspect-ratios., Comment: 7 pages with a total of 8 figures

When injected through a contraction, high molecular weight polymer solutions exhibit a sharp increase of apparent viscosity which originates from stretching polymer chains above a critical extension rate. This chain stretching can also induce polymer scission, which then decreases the extensional viscosity. In practice, the two phenomena are difficult to separate. Moreover, these phenomena are often observed in situation where flow instabilities appear. In order to disentangle the two effects we have measured the pressure-flux relation for polymer solutions passing through a hyperbolic contraction. The ratio of the pressure drop to that of the (Newtonian) solvent has a maximum due to the competition between polymer extension and scission. We find a geometry-dependent relation between the flow rates at which the maximum occurs for successive passages in a given contraction, which appears to be independent of molecular weight, concentration, solvent quality and viscosity, and can be used to predict the scission under successive passes., Comment: 16 pages,19 figures. Presented at 2 conferences ,AERC 2019 and GFR 2018

Photovoltaic (PV) power generation has emerged as one of the lead renewable energy sources. Yet, its production is characterized by high uncertainty, being dependent on weather conditions like solar irradiance and temperature. Predicting PV production, even in the 24-hour forecast, remains a challenge and leads energy providers to left idling - often carbon emitting - plants. In this paper, we introduce a Long-Term Recurrent Convolutional Network using Numerical Weather Predictions (NWP) to predict, in turn, PV production in the 24-hour and 48-hour forecast horizons. This network architecture fully leverages both temporal and spatial weather data, sampled over the whole geographical area of interest. We train our model on an NWP dataset from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to predict spatially aggregated PV production in Germany. We compare its performance to the persistence model and state-of-the-art methods., Comment: 8 pages

Spintronic neurons which emit sharp voltage spikes are required for the realization of hardware neural networks enabling fast data processing with low-power consumption. In many neuroscience and computer science models, neurons are abstracted as non-linear oscillators. Magnetic nano-oscillators called spin-torque nano-oscillators are interesting candidates for imitating neurons at nanoscale. These oscillators, however, emit sinusoidal waveforms without spiking while biological neurons are relaxation oscillators that emit sharp voltage spikes. Here we propose a simple way to imitate neuron spiking in high-magnetoresistance nanoscale spin valves where both magnetic layers are free and thin enough to be switched by spin torque. Our numerical-simulation results show that the windmill motion induced by spin torque in the proposed spintronic neurons gives rise to spikes whose shape and frequency, set by the charging and discharging times, can be tuned through the amplitude of injected dc current. We also found that these devices can exhibit chaotic oscillations. Chaotic-like neuron dynamics has been observed in the brain, and it is desirable in some neuromorphic computing applications whereas it should be avoided in others. We demonstrate that the degree of chaos can be tuned in a wide range by engineering the magnetic stack and anisotropies and by changing the dc current. The proposed spintronic neuron is a promising building block for hardware neuromorphic chips leveraging non-linear dynamics for computing.

For partially wetting fluids, previous results suggest that the thickness and the dewetting velocity of gravity driven films are uniquely determined by the triple line dynamics. In contrast, when flushing aqueous liquids through polymer tubes, our measurements show that the dewetting velocity and thickness can be selected. The control parameter is pressure, i.e. the macroscopic curvature of the meniscus. Our results demonstrate directly the major role played by the macroscopic geometry in the stability of the triple line in a dynamic meniscus as predicted by Eggers (Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 094502 (2004)).