Huang presents ‘From Light to Matter: Controlling Excitons for Quantum Innovation’ at Westwood Lecture Series

Libai Huang, professor of chemistry in the College of Science, presented “From Light to Matter: Controlling Excitons for Quantum Innovation” at the Westwood Lecture Series on March 11.

Abstract. At the most fundamental level, transport of energy carriers (such as electrons and excitons) in the solid state is determined by their quantum wave functions and the interactions with their surroundings. However, studying this transport at the quantum level is challenging because excitons lose their quantum coherent properties extremely quickly (within trillionths of a second) and are confined to nanometer-scale regions. To truly understand their motion, we need experimental techniques that capture both their spatial and temporal dynamics.

To tackle this challenge, Huang’s research group has developed advanced imaging techniques that combine optical microscopy with ultrafast spectroscopy. These methods allow them to visualize exciton transport at the nanoscale to the mesoscale across a wide range of temperatures.

In this talk, Huang shared her team’s latest discoveries on how researchers can manipulate excitons in two-dimensional quantum materials. These findings not only advance our understanding of exciton behavior but also highlight their potential as platforms for quantum simulations. The ability to measure and control coherent quantum pathways is crucial for advancing technologies in both solar energy harvesting and quantum information processing.

Bio. Libai Huang is a professor of chemistry in the College of Science and director of the Quantum Photonic Integrated Design Center Energy Frontier Research Center. Huang leads a pioneering research program dedicated to directly imaging energy and charge transport with femtosecond time resolution and nanometer spatial resolution using ultrafast microscopy. Her work aims to uncover the transport dynamics of excitons and charges in solar energy and quantum materials.

Huang is an executive editor for The Journal of Physical Chemistry, published by the American Chemical Society. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Peking University in 2001 and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Rochester in 2006. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Argonne National Laboratory from 2006 to 2008.