Eric Collet

Eric Collet is an Exceptional Class Professor at the University of Rennes and Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF). He leads the Materials and Light Department at the Institut de Physique de Rennes (IPR) and co-directs the CNRS-funded International Research Laboratory DYNACOM with Prof. S. Ohkoshi. His research focuses on ultrafast photo-induced phase transitions, spin crossover phenomena, and symmetry-breaking dynamics in functional materials, leveraging advanced techniques like femtosecond spectroscopy and X-ray free-electron lasers.

Collet investigates coupled electronic-structural dynamics, elastic cooperativity, and light-driven phase transitions. His work bridges condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, and ultrafast science, with themes including:

• Ultrafast photo-switching of spin states
• Charge-transfer-driven lattice reorganization
• Non-equilibrium material responses
• Coherent structural control using light/THz excitation

His publications emphasize ultrafast structural dynamics, spin crossover cooperativity, and photo-magnetic switching, frequently utilizing synchrotron/X-FEL facilities to resolve femtosecond-scale processes.

Major scientific awards include:

• CNRS Silver Medal (2020) for research originality
• Louis Ancel Prize (2017) for condensed matter physics breakthroughs
• Alajos Kálmán Prize (2022) from the European Crystallographic Association
• Senior IUF Chair (2022–2027)

He directs international collaborations (e.g., France-Japan DYNACOM) and oversees ANR/JSPS-funded projects. No student advisees are listed in available data.