UCSD - University of California - San Diego
10/10/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2024 03:14
Wei Xiong Recognized with Two National Awards
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October 10, 2024Article Content
While some may covet a top floor office with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Wei Xiong prefers the basements of University of California San Diego's Pacific and Tata halls. His ultrafast optical techniques are sensitive to vibration and the basement is the steadiest floor in the building. Here, he and his team of researchers study novel light-matter interactions as a way to control and understand how the structure and dynamics of materials change when they interact with photons.
In recognition of this work, Xiong, who is a Kent Wilson Faculty Scholar in UC San Diego's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named a Brown Investigator and a Blavatnik Award finalist.
"We're extremely proud of Wei for receiving these two highly prestigious national recognitions," stated Dean of the School of Physical Sciences Christine Hrycyna. "His work, at the intersection of chemistry, physics and engineering is exciting and can make a big impact on materials science and energy research. He is exceptionally deserving of these honors, and we are very fortunate to have him as a member of our faculty."
The Brown Investigator Award comes with $2 million in funding that will support Xiong's work as he continues to probe the unique chemistry of light-matter interactions.
One way he does this is by using an optical cavity - essentially a small device that can trap molecules and photons together, forcing them to repeatedly interact. The optical cavity has proven to be a good method to enhance the sensitivity of detections as well as the controls for light-matter experimentation.
Xiong hopes to get the sensitivity down to the single-molecule level - something that is still challenging in the field of chemistry and biophysics. He also hopes to condense his large lab setup to something more portable and affordable so that other researchers can access it more easily.
The Blavatnik Award recognizes Xiong's work in polariton chemistry. Polaritons are quantum mechanical light-matter hybrids that are created using optical cavities. Polaritons represent a "best of both worlds" scenario because their photonic qualities mean they travel faster than matter to transfer energy between matter, while their material qualities can lead to novel chemical reaction pathways and physical properties. In the future, it's possible polaritons could provide a more economical, energy-efficient alternative to control chemical reactions and transport signals.
Xiong expressed his excitement, stating, "Receiving both awards is a tremendous honor, as they underscore the significant societal impact of our past research. Looking ahead, I am even more enthusiastic about the opportunities these accolades present, empowering us to push boundaries and explore uncharted territory at the intersection of quantum science and chemistry."
Xiong has a robust lab of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who are working on a variety of research projects. In addition to polariton chemistry, they are expanding the use of their infrared spectroscopy tool to enhance fluorescent imaging methods.
Fluorescent imaging is a critical tool in health care, often used to diagnose cancer and other diseases. It is also used to test water and food samples for contamination. However, each part of a sample needs to be stained to fluoresce under a microscope and the number of different stains that can be applied to one sample is limited.
Spectroscopy looks at the color signatures of molecules to determine their characteristics, and infrared spectroscopy broadens the range of colors that are observable, allowing scientists to study more complex samples without all of the constraints on staining that currently exist.
The lab is also working on ultrafast spectroscopy techniques to study charge dynamics and, for example, how fast electrons move inside solid-state materials. This research could be useful in solar energy applications as well as quantum materials.With so much going on, Xiong is grateful to his hard-working lab members. "This work could not be achieved without this wonderful group," he stated. "I really appreciate their initiative in leading their projects, so I can focus on the high-level discussions and really make all these diverse research directions flourish. They're really talented."
About the Awards
Brown Investigators: Awarded by Caltech's Brown Institute for Basic Sciences, the award is given to mid-career faculty working on fundamental challenges in the physical sciences, particularly those with potential long-term practical applications in chemistry and physics. Each investigator will receive up to $2 million over five years. There were eight awardees in the 2024 cohort. Blavatnik National Awards:Supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, these awards honor America's most innovative young faculty-rank scientists and engineers, celebrating their past accomplishments and future potential in the categories of life sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences and engineering.
Wei Xiong (far left) standing with his enterprising group members in front of Tata Hall.