Welcome to the Group!
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
Prof. Gaynor selected as 2025 Packard Fellow in Science and Engineering. Congrats James!
October 2025
Dr. Jake Higgins joins the group as an International Institute of Nanotechnology Postdoctoral Fellow. Welcome Jake!
September 2025
Alex Seys wins Best Poster Prize at Gordon Research Conference on Electron Spin in Chiral Matter. Congrats Alex!
August 2025
The group wins Doctoral New Investigator grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund!
June 2025
Gerrit, Sarah, and Alex give talks at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy! Well done everyone!
June 2025
Prof. Gaynor selected as 2025 Beckman Young Investigator by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for developing new methods to study the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect. Congrats James!
June 2025
Prof. Gaynor selected as Research Corporation Scialog Fellow for Quantum Matter and Information. Congrats James!
May 2025
Gerrit Christenson selected as International Institute of Nanotechnology Ryan Fellow. Congrats Gerrit!
May 2025
Gerrit’s Paper on Double-Quantum Two-Dimensional Electronic-Vibrational Spectroscopy is Accepted in The Journal of Chemical Physics! Congratulations, Gerrit!
April 2025
Undergraduates Eva Bermont and Ashley Puente-Pena Join the Group. Welcome Eva and Ashley!
April 2025
Gerrit Christenson was Selected for Northwestern’s Joseph Lambert Award. Congrats, Gerrit!
January 2025
The Gaynor Group Received Seed Funding for their Collaborative Work with the Paltiel Group at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
January 2025
Matthew (Long Hai) Lai and Peter Carlson joined the group. Welcome, Matthew and Peter!
December 2024
The Gaynor Group Received Seed Funding through the Northwestern Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
November 2024
James Gaynor was named a 2024 RCSA Scialog Fellow for the Molecular Basis of Cognition.
October 2024
Edoardo Buttarazzi (University of Napoli Federico II) joined the Gaynor Group for a six-month graduate internship.
October 2024
Northwestern ISP undergraduate Andrew Li joined the team. Welcome, Andrew!
September 2024
Gerrit Christenson Passed his Qualifying Exam. Congrats, Gerrit!
June 2024
Dr. Pankaj Seliya joined the group. Welcome, Dr. Seliya!
March 2024James Gaynor and Gerrit Christenson presented their recent work at APS.
February 2024Sarah Mersch and Alexander Seys joined the group. Welcome, Sarah and Alex!
January 2024