Physics Colloquium - Friday, Nov. 14th, 2008, 4:00 P.M.

E300 Math/Science Center; Refreshments at 3:30 P.M. in Room E200

Haw Yang - Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley

New Developments in High-Resolution Time-Dependent Single-Molecule Spectroscopy with Applications to Nanomaterials-, Biology-, and Energy-Related Problems

Single-molecule spectroscopy promises the detection and identification of rare events, the measurement of the entire distribution of molecular properties, and the direct study of dynamics. Some recent experimental and theoretical advances that further develop single-molecule spectroscopy towards reaching its full potential will be discussed. Specific examples will be used to illustrate the motivation behind the developments and the new ideas that emerge from such quantitative high-resolution studies.