Chemical Physics
Overview
Researchers in chemical physics apply physical methods and theory to study molecular and collective properties of chemical systems. The focus is on understanding complex phenomena from gas phase molecular dynamics, to nanoscale, mesoscale, and biological phenomena, through model systems and fundamental physical principles.
These research groups participate in the Chemical Physics Ph.D. program.
Chemical Physics Groups
Meredith Betterton's Group
Our work is in theoretical biophysics, soft condensed-matter theory, systems biology and bioinformatics. Several current areas of interest are motor-protein motion and collective effects in motor-filament interactions, the biophysics of cell division, DNA elasticity and DNA-protein interactions, coupled linear aggregation and liquid-crystal ordering, and analysis of mass spectra in proteomics.
Joel Eaves' Group
The Eaves group uses statistical mechanics, quantum dynamics, and computation to understand physical properties of condensed phase systems and nanostructures. Research in the group focuses on ultrafast exciton dynamics in carbon nanostructures; multi-electron processes in polar solvents, molecular crystals, and nanocrystals; nanoscale isomers of ligands on gold; and the interplay between mesoscopic physical forces and enzyme kinetics during nucleic acid remodeling.
Chris Greene's Group
My group concentrates on theoretical problems involving strongly-correlated few-body quantum systems in various regimes, including ultracold atomic gases, electron-molecule collisions, and laser-molecule interactions. We often utilize adiabatic formulations in one or more coordinates, in order to gain physical insight and map the interaction physics.
Casey Hynes' Group
Our research is focussed on chemical reaction dynamics and mechanism in solution and at surfaces, and allied phenomena such as vibrational energy flow. Our weapons are analytic theory, classical and quantum dynamics, quantum chemistry and simulations.Topics of current interest include water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction, charge transfer reactions at interfaces, photochemical conical intersection dynamics, hydrogen bond dynamics of water next to DNA--especially in connection with anti-cancer drug intercalation, and biological proton transfers.
Josef Michl's Group
Josef Michl's group uses synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy, and computational modeling to design and understand chemical systems. They work on diverse problems ranging from singlet fission to systems of molecular rotors.
Arthur Nozik's Group
Professor Nozik's group collaborates with the National Renewable Energy Lab in the study of size quantization effects in semiconductors, nanoscience, and future generation solar photon conversion to photovoltaics and solar fuels.
Markus Raschke's Group
We use and develop new optical near-field scanning probe techniques for ultrahigh spatial resolution imaging and spectroscopy for the investigation of molecular and solid nano-structures. This includes the study of the ultrafast dynamics on the nanoscale, and the control of the light-matter interaction by optical antennas and plasmonic nano-devices.
Ivan Smalyukh's Group
Our scientific interests encompass different branches of soft condensed matter and optical physics, including novel laser trapping and imaging techniques, molecular and colloidal self-assembly, fundamental properties of liquid crystals, polymers, nano-structured and other functional materials, as well as their photonic and electrooptic applications.
Matthias Weber's Group
Our research revolves around the chemical physics of molecular structure and intermolecular interactions. We use infrared spectroscopy of gas-phase cluster ions to investigate how ions interact with solvents and how solvation impacts chemical reactions. In another experiment we study the photophysics of biomolecules and salt ions (e.g. precursors for metal nanoparticle synthesis) and how their interaction with solvent molecules changes their properties. We are currently developing new project areas dealing with the growth of nanostructured materials from small clusters and with the properties of nanoscale materials at very high pressures.
