Atomic, Molecuar and Optical Physics Research

Atomic, molecular and optical physics is a versatile testing ground for understanding the quantum theory of light and matter. AMO studies at UT combine the research of several distinguished experimentalists and theorists.

Experimentalists in the AMO area include Marianne Breinig, Stuart Elston, David Pegg, and Jon Levin.

Dr. Breinig's principal interests lie in high quality graduate education for UT's physics graduate students and the preparation of master's and Ph.D. students for careers in industry. A key tool in the latter effort is practical training in her research specialty, electron emission in fast ion-atom collisions, where fast typically means a few percent of the speed of light. Dr. Elston's research delves into the field of electron emission from atomic collisions and the scattering of ions from atomically clean surfaces. His work is conducted primarily at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory EN Tandem Van de Graaff Accelerator Facility. Dr. Pegg studies the detachment of electrons from negative ions, using lasers as a principal tool. He conducts his work at both the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dr. Levin uses synchrotron radiation physics to study the interactions of atoms and x-rays. This research is carried out at the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility at Grenoble.

The University's atomic experimentalists are supported by an exceptional theory group, including Distinguished Scientist Joseph Macek. He splits his time between the University and ORNL, works on aspects of atomic scattering theory, and also researches the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms and electron correlations within atoms.

Other research endeavors at both UT and ORNL include the molecular part of AMO physics. Dr. Bill Blass investigates the mathematical foundations of image formation and enhancement and also directs the UT Complex Systems Laboratory, which covers a number of research areas, including control of chaos and atmospheric spectroscopy.

Robert Compton is an experimentalist in chemical physics specializing in multiphoton ionization spectroscopy of molecules in the gas phase. Lal Pinnaduwage also conducts research in chemical physics, including studies of the dynamics of highly- excited molecules and their electron attachment properties. This work ties in with his research on low- temperature plasmas and the development of negative-ion based analytical techniques. His primary appointment is at ORNL. You may wish to visit the Compton Group Web Site and the Chemical Physics Web Site for more information on his work.