Career: Energy Transport in Conjugated Polymers Studied by Time- and Space-Resolved Spectroscopy

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Professor Christopher Bardeen of the University of Illinois is supported by a CAREER award in the Experimental Physical Chemistry program. He will study energy transport in conjugated polymers using ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Excited conjugated polymers undergo a transition from coherent exciton to incoherent Forster-type energy transfer; this transition can be followed using polarization and phase sensitive four-wave-mixing measurements. In addition to the time behavior, Professor Bardeen will study this phenomenon in a spatially resolved way using near field spectroscopy in fluorescence resonance energy transfer mode and cathodoluminescence mode. Nanometer sized crystals of the conducting polymers will also be synthesized and studied. Professor Bardeen's teaching strategy consists of "active" learning on the part of students. With graduate students, one emphasis is on communication and analytical skills which will be improved by regular, graded presentations on scientific research. With undergraduate students, "Real World Chemistry" lectures will be given to motivate students.The photoconducting polymer poly(phenylene vinylene) is currently of interest as an alternative to inorganic semiconductors, especially for light emitting diodes (LEDs). This work will produce results needed to understand how these materials transport energy. Professor Bardeen has excellent ideas about both graduate and undergraduate teaching which are thoughtful and adjusted to the current situation for the future of science and technology.