Welcome to the Gaynor Laboratory! We are a team of people who seek to understand how complex molecules and materials can use light to move charge and energy in photoexcited states of condensed phases. It is our hope that a deeper understanding of interesting photochemical dynamics will enable future breakthroughs in more efficient technologies that can combat global issues that we face as a society. To achieve this, we push the frontiers of nonlinear multidimensional spectroscopy to measure dynamic couplings and correlations among electrons, nuclei, and their environment that govern fundamental processes like quantum coherence and the motion of charge and energy. Using pulses of light that range in duration from 100’s of “atto”-seconds (1 as = 10-18 seconds) to 10s of femtoseconds (1 fs = 10-15 seconds) and that spectrally span from 4 nm to 15000 nm, we track the motion of charge and energy – from quantum coherences to transfer and solvation – with exquisite sensitivity and selectivity.


Recent News

Dr. Pankaj Seliya joins the group. Welcome! -03/2024

James Gaynor and Gerrit Christenson present recent work at APS – 02/2024

Sarah Mersch and Alexander Seys join the group. Welcome! – 01/2024

New Gaynor Lab Research Website Launched! – 12/2023


Our lab is supported by the Department of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. We are located on the beautiful main campus in Evanston, Illinois, right on the shores of Lake Michigan.