Rogue waves are powerful waves that erupt suddenly. They are rare, but destructive. Above all, they are unpredictable. Surprisingly, researchers have been able to better understand these fascinating waves by studying similar phenomena in fiber optic lasers.   Before scientists began measuring and observing them, rogue waves had long been perceived as legends. They can reach a height of 30 …

In 1953, scientists theorized the energy behavior of a chain of springs and revealed a paradox in fundamental physics. Over 60 years later, a group of researchers from IMT Lille Douai, CNRS and the universities of Lille and Ferrara (Italy) has succeeded in observing this paradox. Their results have greatly enhanced our understanding of physical nonlinear systems, which are the …

Last May, for the first time, researchers from the University of Lille and IMT Lille-Douai exposed a photon dam breaking in an optical fiber. These results provided the experimental confirmation for an old theory that dates back over 50 years. Above all, this research reveals a surprising analogy with a water dam break, creating the prospect of collaboration between physicists …