Controlling Chemical Reactions Using Femtosecond Laser Pulses
Abstract:
Since the invention of the laser in 1960,
chemists have dreamed of using the special properties of laser light
to selectively control chemical reactions. This dream is now beginning
to be realized, due to great experimental strides in producing
femtosecond pulses (10-15 s), the ability
to shape these pulses both in amplitude and phase, and novel theoretical
paradigms for using these shaped pulses to selectively break chemical bonds.
The lecture will describe both the theoretical and experimental highlights
of this field, as well as recent attempts to apply these same ideas to
the challenging problem of laser cooling of molecules.
Research Topics:
Time dependent approach to optical and
resonance Raman spectroscopy, ultrafast spectroscopy, coherent control
of chemical reactions, quantum and semiclassical theory of chemical reactions,
quantum theory of molecular dynamics in solution, laser cooling of molecules.
Personal Details:
1) PhD, 1984
UCLA under Eric Heller
2) Postdoc, 1984-86,
University of Chicago, with Stuart Rice
3) Ass. Prof.,
1986-89, Illinois Institute of Technology
4) Ass., Assoc.
Prof, 1989-95, University of Notre Dame (South Bend, lndiana)
5) Visiting Prof.
1992-93, Columbia University (New York)
6) Assoc. Prof.
1995-2000, Weizmann Institute
7) Prof. 2000-
, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot