Context

The search for new materials has always been at the heart of human activity. Initially aimed at satisfying primary needs, the mastery of new materials enabled the design of increasingly complex tools, until it became the basis for the industrial revolution in the 19th century, and the technological revolutions (microelectronics, etc.) of the 20th century.

A material, whether natural or man-made, is selected for its properties to be used in the design of objects of varying complexity. Whether we're interested in its mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, optical or chemical characteristics, knowledge of the material's atomic structure is the key to understanding its macroscopic properties.

The use of complementary characterization methods enables us to trace the atomic organization of a material, so that we can link macroscopic properties...