Open channels are peculiar incidents modes of the optical field that are transmitted by a highly diffusing medium with high efficiency (100 % in the ideal case). The existence of these modes has been predicted by Dorokhov et al. [1] more than 25 years ago. Although many experiments were made to prepare these modes [2,3], the maxima of transmission obtained in experiments, are ever much lower than 100 %. To test the theory, we have considered here another Dorokhov's prediction: the average transmission of the modes that sustain the transmitted field must be TT=66%, where TT is defined by N2 TT= N1 T (where T is the averaged transmission of energy, and N1 and N2 the number of incident and transmitted modes i.e. the size of the incident and transmitted mode basis). Fig.1 (a) Holographic experimental setup. (b) Residual correlation of the transmitted field. The horizonal axis is SQ'. The sample transverse size is L=70 µm red, 50 µm green, 35 µm blue.... The horizontal grey line is the residual correlation expected for N1=N2. To verify this prediction, we have measured N2 on a slab sample of ZNO powder (transverse size L<=70 µm, thickness 20 µm) [4], by assuming that N1 is given by the sample geometry. The experimental setup is seen in Fig. 1(a). The incident fields are random (there are scrambled by a diffusing liquid DL) and digital holography is used to measure the complex transmitted field E(x,y) for the two polarisations. N2 is measured by analysing the residual correlations of the transmitted field measured for uncorrelated incident fields. Since the average transmission is T=1/25, we expect N2=N1/16. To get this optimal result, the transverse size of sample L must be infinite and the defocusing SQ' of the microscope objective MO2 must be zero (where S is the sample outgoing surface and Q' the plane imaged by MO2). Figure 1 (b) shows the residual correlation (which is proportional to 1/N2) as a function these two parameters. We get N2=N1/12 without extrapolation, and N2=N1/16 with extrapolation to L infinite. Here, the open channel effect is huge (factor 16) and the aggreement with the Dorokhov's prediction is excellent. We acknowledge Labex Numev (convention ANR-10-LABX-20) for funding. References 1. O.N. Dorokhov. On the coexistence of localized and extended electronic states in the metallic phase. Solid state communications, 51(6): 381-384, (1984).

Liquid crystal ordering is an opportunity to develop novel materials and applications with spontaneouslyaligned anisotropic particles [1,2]. In this way, the organization of graphene flakes in liquid crystals provides new methodologies for the still challenging structural characterization of such materials. In this work, we will present a review of our recent results in the preparation and characterization of lyotropic LC made from concentrated aqueous suspensions based graphene oxide (GO) and/or reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and we will show some of ours preliminary approaches to achieve large and well-ordered domains of lyotropic liquid crystals. According with literature, for graphene, it is known that GO flakes easily disperse in water and spontaneously form liquid crystals at high concentrations. However, most of their electronic functionalities are lost during the oxidation treatments. RGO is of greater interest since a large part of functionalities are recovered but chemical reduction of GO in water generally results in the aggregation of the flakes. We recently showed how to obtain water-based RGO liquid crystals stabilized by surfactant molecules [3]. Structural and thermodynamic characterizations provide statistical information on the dimensions of the graphene flakes, which are found to be comparable with those of neat graphene oxide flakes. We have started to combined these new liquid crystals with nanoparticles, these graphene-based LC/Nanoparticles composites being useful to design coatings and functional materials.
References
[1] Yuan J.; Luna A.; Neri W.; Zakri C.; Schilling T.; Colin A.; Poulin, P. Graphene liquid crystal retardedpercolation for new high-k materials. Nat. Commun. 6:8700 (2015) doi: 10.1038/ncomms9700
[2] Zakri, C.; Blanc, C.; Grelet, E.; Zamora-Ledezma, C.; Puech, N.; Anglaret, E.; and Poulin, P. Liquid crystals ofcarbon nanotubes and graphene. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A., 371, 20120499, pp 1-15 (2013)
[3] Zamora-Ledezma, C.; Puech, N.; Zakri, C.; Grelet, E.; Moulton, S. E.; Wallace, G. G.; Gambhir, S.; Blanc, C.;Anglaret, E.; and Poulin, P. Liquid Crystallinity and Dimensions of Surfactant-Stabilized Sheets of ReducedGraphene Oxide. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 3 (17), pp 2425–2430 (2012)

Processing routes and characterization methods commonly used in carbon nanotubes research require agood dispersion of nanotubes in liquid media. In particular, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) mustbe dispersed, preferably as individuals in order to tap their full potential in optical applications [1]. Onesensitive probe of dispersion is photoluminescence (PL), since it is quenched as long as semiconductingSWNT are bundled with metallic ones. However, the detailed interpretation of the mechanismsresponsible for PL and the relation between PL intensity and dispersion state are still a matter ofcontroversy [2].
In this work, we present new insights on the near infrared photoluminescence of aqueous suspensions ofSWNT stabilized by bile salts surfactants. In one hand, the dispersion of the nanotubes is probed byabsorption spectroscopy, where the absorption coefficient shows high sensitivity to nanotube exfoliation.On the other hand, we revisit the interpretation of the NIR-PL spectra, and we discuss the differentphysical mechanisms responsible of the PL, i.e. Direct Excitonic Transitions (DET), Exciton-PhononCoupling (EPC), and Exciton Energy Transfer (EET) between nanotubes [3-7]. Finally, we discuss thekinetics of PL as a function of sonication time and debundling/exfoliation of SWNT (Figure 1).
References
[1] S. M. Bachilo, et al. Science, 298 (2002). pp 2361-2366.
[2] V.C Moore, et al. Nano letters, 3 (2003). pp 1379-1382.
[3] T. Ando, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn, 66(4) (1997). pp. 1066-1073.
[4] J. Maultzsch, et al. PRB, 72(24) (2005). pp. 241402.
[5] F. Wang, et al. Science, 308(5723) 2005. pp. 838-841.
[6] S. Chou, et al. PRL, 94(12) (2005), pp. 127402.
[7] P. Tan, et al. PRL, 99(13) (2007) pp. 137402.

Biophysical approach of the mucociliary function: Mucus rheology and beating coordination

The Continuous Droplet Interface Crossing Encapsulation (cDICE) is an easy and robust method for producing, at high yield, monodisperse lipid vesicles with a controlled content as well as capsules with a designed shell. It consists in forcing a droplet through an interface between two imiscible fluids, using an external force such as centrifugation. At high inertia, the droplet entrain fluid that will constitute the shell of the capsule. At low inertia, the presence of amphiphile and the deformable interface interactions lead to monolayers zipping and formation of an amphiphile bilayer around the droplet. We will discuss the physical mechanisms involved in the production of both cDICE vesicles (low droplets inertia) and capsules (at high inertia), and the potential applications of this method. This method founds indeed many applications in biomimetics as it allows to encapsulate various biological solutions (biopolymers, hemoglobin, colloids, polymeric gels, cells. . . ) in membranes that can be composite and/or assymetric, or polymeric, and in the field of microencapsulation.

The Continuous Droplet Interface Crossing Encapsulation (cDICE) is an easy and robust method for producing, at high yield, monodisperse lipid vesicles with a controlled content as well as capsules with a designed shell. It consists in forcing a droplet through an interface between two imiscible fluids, using an external force such as centrifugation. At high inertia, the droplet entrain fluid that will constitute the shell of the capsule. At low inertia, the presence of amphiphile and the deformable interface interactions lead to monolayers zipping and formation of an amphiphile bilayer around the droplet. We will discuss the physical mechanisms involved in the production of both cDICE vesicles (low droplets inertia) and capsules (at high inertia), and the potential applications of this method. This method founds indeed many applications in biomimetics as it allows to encapsulate various biological solutions (biopolymers, hemoglobin, colloids, polymeric gels, cells. . . ) in membranes that can be composite and/or assymetric, or polymeric, and in the field of microencapsulation.