Serge Berthier is born in Paris (France) in 1952. He obtained his Phd  from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris ) in 1986.

He first became professor of physics at Université Pascal Paoli, Corte (France) where he spent 7 years, between 1981 and 1987. In 1987 he moved to Université Paris Diderot where he has create a new master dedicated to the optical properties of solids. He has been director of the CNRS GDR “Couleur et matériaux à effets visuals”, invited professor at the Faculté Universitaire Notre Dame de la Paix à Namur (Belgique) and actually member of the UNESCO-UNISA chair in Nanotechnology at Cap Town (South Africa).

He first made theoretical and applied researches on selective materials for the thermal conversion of solar energy. As these materials are mostly composed of inhomogeneous materials (CERMET : Ceramic – metal composed) he then turned to  theoretical researches on the optical phase transition in disordered media, and proposed a model based on the real space renormalization theory that precisely predicates the conduction and polarization critical exponents of the percolation transition.

Since he turned on the study, the characterization and the modelling of natural photonic structures, found for example in the butterflies wing scales, coleopteran elytron, birds feathers, diatoms…considered as models for bio inspired devices, including solar absorber, molecules detectors, anticounterfeighting devices for bank notes, cosmetic pigments, LED…. He actively participates in the development of bio-inspiration in France through the CEBIOS (Centre d’Excellence en Bio-Inspiration de Senlis).

He has published more than 200 papers and reviews, 17 chapters in collective books, a book (in French) on the optical properties of inhomogeneous media, 3 books, (1 translated in English) on the photonic structures and the physical colours of insects. And recently, a book on the natural nanostructures and their applications.  He is currently working on a book on bio-inspiration.

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Professeur Serge BERTHIER

Université Paris Diderot, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris (CNRS – Sorbonne Université)

Invited Professor : Université de Namur.

Professor UNESCO – UNISA chair in Nanothechnology, Cap Town ; SA