General Physics Colloquium

Speaker:

Oriol Vendrell

IFA

Title

Ultrafast molecular science: past, present and future

Abstract: 

Molecules are dynamical objects. Chemical bonds vibrate with ultrashort
periods in the order of 10s to 100s of femtoseconds, which is the natural
timescale for reactive events to occur and for electrical charge and energy
transfer to take place across their structures.

For example, while some molecular structures are capable of absorbing sunlight
leading to chemical or electrical energy, others are able to dissipate it into
heat in an ultrafast way to protect nearby structures from harmful radiation.
The range of possibilities is essentially infinite. Clearly though, future
technologies will rely on a deep understanding and control of the
functionality of complex molecules and materials at the nanoscale, and large
efforts are underway nowadays to capture the dynamics of molecules both in
time and space.

In this talk I will discuss the present status of ultrafast molecular science
and the theory thereof, while starting with a brief historical perspective of
the field. The discussion will be illustrated with some examples of my own
research followed by an outlook into future directions and open questions.

Coffee and cake will be served at 15:05