The Atomic, Molecular, and Chemical Physics group focuses on interactions of atoms, molecules, electrons and photons. Our programs include both experimental and theoretical projects, many of which entail collaborations within and outside the Department. Combining expertise in several areas of atomic, molecular, and chemical physics, our group offers a breadth and range rarely found in either Chemistry or Physics Departments. Current specific research areas include:
- Scattering dynamics, including ultracold collision dynamics, reactive scattering of ground- and excited- states of molecules, scattering of Rydberg states of atoms and molecules, orientation and alignment in collisions, three-body scattering dynamics, and low-energy elastic and threshold inelastic scattering of charged particles.
- Potential energy surfaces as determined both by theory and experiment.
- Atoms and molecules in electric, magnetic, and optical fields.
- Precision measurement the creation of more accurate and precise atomic clocks and the search for time reversal asymmetry (CP violation) in the electronic structure of heavy molecules.
- Ultra-cold atoms and molecules, including Bose-Einstein condensation.
A novel supersonic molecular beam source designed and built at OU.
A strong emphasis of the experimental program is on the use of laser and microwave probes to study the dynamics of reactions and energy transfer processes, novel optical traps to study ultracold atoms, and techniques to cool molecules into the ultracold regime. These experiments complement ongoing theoretical work in electron-molecule collisions, near-resonant energy transfer of Rydberg atoms, dimensional perturbation theory, doubly-excited states of atoms, atoms in magnetic fields, and Bose-Einstein condensation. Our computational facilities include an extensive network of powerful computer workstations, which are freely shared among members of the Department, and an SP-2 super computer. These facilities are used in several experimental contexts and in theoretical research such as ongoing study of processes fundamental to combustion and of CPU-intensive reactive scattering processes.
Since its inception, our group has been regularly funded by such sources as the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. In addition, various members of the group participate in long-term collaborations with scientists from Italy, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and various laboratories and universities in the U.S. A highlight of the program is a regular, intensive program of visits and colloquia by outside members of the atomic, molecular, and chemical physics community, including our many collaborators.
