Head of group
Ing. Vít Svoboda, Dr. sc. ETH Zürich
b vit.svoboda
vscht.cz
e 22044 4014
d Z B2-252
Team members
Tereza Pavlíčková
Eva Temelkova
We are looking for new team members
Research topic
Our group specializes in both experimental and theoretical studies of ultrafast processes in molecules and plasmonic nanoparticles. We study photoexcited dynamics by employing laser pulses lasting from hundreds to thousands of attoseconds. The generation of these pulses was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023. Such short pulses enable us to observe the "flow" of electrons through molecules and thus understand the fundamental physical principles of the interaction between matter and radiation. With some exaggeration, we can say that our group develops "photon cameras" capable of shooting molecular movies of electrons dancing around atomic nuclei. From these electronic dynamics, we can determine, through appropriate experiments such as time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, the changes that occur after photoexcitation. One of our group's specialties is the study of chiral molecules. Specifically, we are interested in how the chirality of a molecule changes during a chemical reaction and how chiral molecules can manipulate electron spin. Understanding these fundamental principles might one day lead to the construction of a quantum transistor based on chiral molecules, which will serve in quantum computers operating at room temperature.