On October 15, 2026, we hosted Sergio Revuelta, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics (Germany), who delivered a seminar titled “Measuring Molecular Dynamics with Field-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy” as part of the OP-Sesiones series.
Summary of the talk:
Ultrashort infrared pulses give us direct access to probe light-matter interactions, whether by exciting molecules to make them vibrate at specific frequencies, or driving ultrafast electron motion in semiconductors. Modern ultrafast laser sources now allow us to generate sub-cycle infrared light pulses with precise control over their electric-field waveforms. By measuring how these waveforms evolve in time after passing through a sample, we can reconstruct the molecular composition and structural dynamics of complex materials, a key tool for physical-chemistry and clinical diagnostics. However, capturing weak or fast-decaying vibrational signals remains difficult because the response quickly drops below the detection limit. Here, I will present the experimental techniques we use to pull these weak signals out of the background noise and extend the observabl window for time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.
Thanks to everyone who attended! See you at the next Op-session.
