Project Grant 2624418

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded Emporia State University $244,335 on January 1, 2027, under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) to support an EPSCOR Research Fellows project investigating ultrafast photochemical dynamics using attosecond coincidence spectroscopy and high-repetition-rate pump-probe measurements.

The award provides a fellowship to an assistant professor at Emporia State University and training for an undergraduate student. The research, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Meng Han at Kansas State University, examines how light causes atoms and molecules to rearrange or break apart, focusing on how changes in electron density trigger these processes and how atomic motion shapes outcomes. The work combines chemistry, physics, and laser science using high-frequency laser measurements and imaging techniques on small molecule model systems.

The integrated experimental framework links high-repetition-rate pump-probe measurement using Coulomb explosion imaging with attosecond extreme-ultraviolet spectroscopy using electron-ion coincidence detection. This approach provides channel-specific and site-sensitive information connecting electronic excitation, atomic motion, and product formation. The project will advance understanding of how molecular structure governs relaxation, dissociation, and competing photochemical pathways, while developing experimental protocols, data-analysis methods, and collaborative research capabilities that strengthen atomic, molecular, and optical science at Emporia State University.

The fellowship supports advances in photosynthesis, energy conversion, and green energy storage while training early-career faculty and students in advanced experiments and interdisciplinary research. Performance occurs in Emporia, Kansas, with a period of performance from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028.