Center for Excitonics

Events

Ultrafast Nanoplasmonics: Toward Coherently Controlled Chemistry at the Time-space Limit

November 3, 2015 at 4:30 PM/ RLE Allen 36-462*

Tamar Seideman
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Illinois

Electronics has long reached the molecular scale; not only do single-molecule junctions exhibit interesting conduction behaviors that have no analog in macroscopic electronics, they can also be tailored to induce a variety of fascinating dynamical processes in the molecular moiety, with potential applications ranging from new forms of molecular machines and new modes of conduction, to new directions in surface nanochemistry and nanolithography. Nevertheless, the application of light to control molecular motions and electronic transport in junctions may offer advantages, since photonic (by contrast to electronic) sources allow (sub)femtosecond time resolution and tunable phase and polarization properties. One of several challenges, however, is the requirement of coherent light sources that are tightly localized in space. It is here that plasmonics offer an opportunity.

In the talk, I will combine plasmonics physics with concepts and tools borrowed from coherent, strong field control of molecular dynamics with two goals in mind. One is to introduce new function into nanoplasmonics, including ultrafast elements and broken symmetry elements. The second is to develop coherent nanoscale sources and apply them to control both mechanical motions and electric transport in the nanoscale. Focusing on the combination with molecules, I will discuss ongoing research on plasmon-exciton interactions in the strong coupling limit. To conclude the talk, I will return to nanoelectronics, and illustrate the application of plasmonics to control of transport in the nanoscale, with a view to ultrafast electric switches.

Tamar Seideman is a Dow Chemical Company Professor in Chemistry and a Professor of Physics at Northwestern University. She received a B.Sc. degree (summa cum laude) in 1982 from the Tel-Aviv University, a M.Sc. (summa cum laude) in 1985 from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and a Ph.D. (summa cum laude) in 1990 from the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is a member of the National Academy of Science of Germany, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Guggenheim Fellow, a Member of the Willard Gibbs Award Jury, (elected July 2013), a member at large of the Division of the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics of the APS, and a member of the Atomic and Molecular Physics Committee of the National Academies. Her research was recognized with numerous international awards and honors, including a Wetson Award (2015-2018), a Mildred Dresselhaus Award for Senior Scientists (2013 first recipient), a Sackelr Award (2011), a senior A. von Humboldt Award (2004-2009), a Weston Award (2007-2009), an Emerson Award (1996-1997), a Wegner Award (1996), a Brener award, a J.F. Kennedy award, a Fulbright Research Award, a Chaim Weizmann Fellowship, the Knesset of Israel Award Prize, a Galilei Distinguished Lecturer Award, and a Windsor Distinguished Lecturer Award. She is the author of 245 refereed publications.
Among Seideman’s research interests are quantum transport, current-driven nanochemistry and molecular machines; ultrafast nanoplasmonics and information guidance in the nanoscale; approaches to solar energy conversion; coherent control and coherence spectroscopies in isolated molecules and in dissipative media; attosecond science and the interaction of matter with intense laser fields; photomanipulation of external and internal molecular modes; and mathematical method development.

  • talk is in RLE Allen room only: 36-462