Prof. Dr. Frank Stienkemeier

University of Freiburg
Physics

Internal Senior Fellow
October 2018 – July 2019

Last Update: 31.08.2019

Curriculum Vitae

Stienkemeier, Frank (German, born 1963) is Full Professor for Experimental Physics at the University of Freiburg. He is expert in laser spectroscopic methods including femtosecond time-resolved techniques and coherent multidimensional spectroscopy. In order to resolve quantum state specific properties, isolated unperturbed atomic and molecular complexes at cold or ultracold temperatures are probed such as gas-phase atomic, molecular or cluster beams, or cluster-isolated molecular complexes. In particular helium nanodroplet isolation techniques at millikelvin temperatures are pursued. He got his doctoral degree in Physics at the University of Bielefeld, continuing as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University. After getting his Habilitation at the University of Bielefeld and a position as “Hochschuldozent” he accepted a Full Professorship at the University of Freiburg. Since then he had Guest Professorships at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. He was the coordinator of the LDM project (Low Density Matter Beamline) at the XUV Free Electron Laser FERMI, Trieste, was awarded with an ERC Advanced Grant in 2016, and is Spokesperson of the DFG-funded International Graduate School 2079 “Cold Controlled Ensembles in Physics and Chemistry”, University of Freiburg – UBC, Vancouver.

Selected Publications

L. Bruder, U. Bangert, and F. Stienkemeier, Phase-modulated harmonic light spectroscopy, Opt. Express, 25 (5), 5302-5315 (2017).
K. C. Prince et al., Coherent control with a short-wavelength free-electron laser, Nat. Photonics 10, 176-179 (2016).
M. Mudrich, F. Stienkemeier, Photoionization of Pure and Doped Helium Nanodroplets, International Reviews in Physical Chemistry 33 (3), 301-339 (2014).
F. Stienkemeier, and K. K. Lehmann, Spectroscopy and Dynamics in Helium Nanodroplets (Topical Review), J. Phys. B. 39, R127–R166 (2006).
J. Higgins, C. Callegari, J. Reho, F. Stienkemeier, W. E. Ernst, K. K. Lehmann,
M. Gutowski, and G. Scoles, Photoinduced Chemical Dynamics of High-Spin Alkali
Trimers, Science 273, 629 (1996).

FRIAS Project

Coherent Spectroscopy of Elementary Steps for Light Harvesting

Fundamental quantum mechanical processes determine the properties of matter and their functionality. In order to understand complex processes such as light harvesting in photosynthesis and photovoltaics, a detailed knowledge of coherent effects in excitation and charge transfer processes and related dynamics is required. Advanced experimental methods, capable of detecting quantum coherences, so far are not applicable to quantum state controlled molecular complexes isolated from the perturbing environment, due to the low density of such targets. We will establish coherent femtosecond multidimensional spectroscopy to dilute isolated molecular complexes. For a specific heterogeneous synthesis we will use aggregation in superfluid helium at millikelvin temperatures. The goal is to identify processes and coherent dynamics of excitation and charge transfer in fundamental heterogeneous complexes, elucidate coherence and dissipation effects in contact with tailored external baths, and characterize collective excitation as well as autoionization in dilute atomic gases.