Title: Exploring energy landscapes via time-resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy
Ultrafast spectroscopy has transformed our understanding of atomic-scale dynamics, capturing physical and chemical processes on femtosecond timescales through sequences of ultrashort laser pulses. Few-fs optical pulses -shorter than molecular vibrations- can initiate coherent motion in ground and excited states and allow real-time observation of the interplay between vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom, revealing previously uncharted wavepacket dynamics onto excited-state energy landscapes.
I will present recent experimental implementations based on nonlinear impulsive Raman spectroscopy, which allow direct measurement of absolute excited-state geometries, one of the most elusive molecular properties previously accessible only through numerical simulations. Specifically, I will discuss how controlling the pulse chirp -i.e., increasing the pulse duration by spreading different colors over its temporal envelope- can counterintuitively enhance desired vibrational signatures over background signals, serving as a simple -yet powerful- experimental control knob to orchestrate nuclear dynamics and achieve state and species selectivity in time-domain Raman spectroscopy.
Finally, I will outline ongoing and future research, including the application of coherent Raman to graphene-based batteries and the experimental implementation of novel pump-probe Raman spectroscopies, to address open questions in both fundamental and applied Physical Chemistry.