Chemical Physics

Chemical physicists at JILA use advanced laser techniques to probe the structure and dynamics of matter during chemical reactions, i.e., during the making and breaking of chemical bonds.

JILA’s chemical physics research includes studies of molecular energy flow and optical/electrical properties of crystals, mapping of electron dynamics in materials and individual molecules, fabrication of nanomaterials, cooling of molecules through Stark deceleration and laser manipulation, and identifying short-lived molecules within interstellar and atmospheric combustion. These research endeavors advance our understanding of chemical reactions and inform the development of new materials.

Researchers in Chemical Physics

Photograph of Ralph Jimenez Ralph Jimenez
Focus: Biophysics, Ultrafast Lasers, Chemical Physics, Microfluidics Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of Henry Kapteyn Henry Kapteyn
Focus: Ultrafast Lasers & X-Rays, Imaging, Chemical Physics, Quantum & Optical Science, Nanoscience, Materials, Molecular Science Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of Heather Lewandowski Heather Lewandowski
Focus: Cold Molecules, Chemical Physics Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of David Nesbitt David Nesbitt
Focus: Chemical Physics, Biophysics, Molecular Ions Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of Margaret Murnane Margaret Murnane
Focus: Ultrafast Lasers & X-Rays, Imaging, Chemical Physics, Quantum & Optical Science, Nanoscience, Materials, Molecular Science Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of J. Mathias Weber. J. Mathias Weber
Focus: Chemical Physics, Molecular and Cluster Ions, Materials Role: Experimentalist
Photograph of Jun Ye Jun Ye
Focus: Cold Atoms and Molecules, Frequency Combs, Ultrastable Lasers, Precision Measurement Role: Experimentalist
Bryan Changala photo. Bryan Changala
Focus: Frequency combs, microwave spectroscopy, molecules, ions and radicals Role: Experimentalist

Recent Highlights in Chemical Physics

Interstellar formation of PAHs terminates at C6H5+
JILA Researchers Overturn 25-Year-Old Explanation of Benzene Formation in Space

JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder Physics Professor Heather Lewandowski and members of her lab have shattered a 25-year-old theory about how benzene forms in the interstellar medium, revealing that the long-accepted chemical recipe doesn’t work under space-like conditions. Their groundbreaking laser-cooling experiments open a new…

The many different molecules trying to fill the binding site of octamethyl calix[4]pyrrole (omC4P)
Molecular Lock and Key: Decoding the Secrets of Ion Binding

Understanding how molecules interact with ions is a cornerstone of chemistry, with applications from pollution detection and cleanup to drug delivery. In a series of new studies led by JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder chemistry professor Mathias Weber, researchers explored how a specific ion receptor called octamethyl calix[4]…

Coulomb crystals are surrounded by molecules used in the Lewandowski laboratory to study astrochemical reactions
Cold Coulomb Crystals, Cosmic Clues: Unraveling the Mysteries of Space Chemistry

While it may not look like it, the interstellar space between stars is far from empty. Atoms, ions, molecules, and more reside in this ethereal environment known as the Interstellar Medium (ISM). The ISM has fascinated scientists for decades, as at least 200 unique molecules form in its cold, low-pressure environment. It’s a subject that ties…

More Research Highlights