The use of laser-induced shock waves (LSW) for characterizing coatings’ interfaces was first developed in USA, but validated a few years ago in France. The main physical principle deals with the generation of a local and intense stress loading inside materials, due to the crossing of incident and reflected release waves. The localization of tensile applied stresses is directly associated with the pressure pulse duration: the longer the pressure pulse, the deeper the applied tensile stress. This means that long pressure pulses (due to long laser pulses) will allow characterizing thick materials (including coating and substrate) whereas short pulses will be restricted to thin systems, with stresses applied very near free surfaces. This new technique of characterization allows quantifying damage thresholds (debonding stresses) at interfaces by the use of a combined experimental (VISAR velocimetry) and numerical approach. However, the use of constant pulse durations in the different laser systems, is really restrictive to test a large range of coatings’ thicknesses. The ARCOLE project, propose by three main partners : PIMM (UMR 8006 CNRS – Arts et Métiers Paris-Tech), LERMPS (EA3316 – UTBM) and PPRIME (UPR 3346 CNRS), aims at using laser-shock waves with adjustable pulse durations, to test substrate-coating interfaces, with a specific focus on thermal spray coatings. The investigation of interface debonding will be carried out using a dual experimental (VISAR velocimetry) + numerical approach in order to understand precisely the physical processes involved, and to reach quantitative stress values. Four aspects will be considered: (1)The characterization of laser-matter interaction and pressure loading P=f(t), on a large range of pulse durations (5 ns – 100 ns), never investigated before in water confined regime, (2) The experimental and numerical analysis of shock wave propagation in heterogeneous materials (including interfaces such as Al substrate / NiAl plasma sprayed coating), and the validation of interface testing for different systems thicknesses, corresponding to different pulse durations, (3) The use of LSW to test the adhesion of thermal barrier with various thicknesses. Considering 100 µm to 1000 µm thick classical ZrO2-Y2O3 system, with or without sub-layers , we will investigate the influence of different substrates pre-treatments versus adhesion strengths. For similar coating thickness, the objective will be to identify the most influent parameters (physico-chemistry, morphology, mechanics) conducing to the best adhesion properties. A comparison with conventional adhesion tests will also be carried out, (4) The use of LSW for analyzing the thermal or thermo-mechanical ageing of thermal barrier systems, including the influence of oxidation, sintering or phase transformation during the lifetime of coatings. For this work, ARCOLE project requires two doctoral positions: one dedicated to laser-matter analysis (PIMM), and the second one on the influence of pre-treatments and ageing on adhesion strengths (LERMPS, PPRIME). This project is a completely modified version of 2011’ submitted project CLASSE. It aims at supporting the new laser-shock Ile de France platform (already granted by Sesame Hephaistos and labeled by Francilian Fed of Mechanics). More widely, it will contribute to the scientific excellence of the French community of laser-shock waves, worldwide well known already.