Professor Michael Wasielewski - 2022 Faraday Division open award: Faraday Lectureship Prize winner

Professor Michael Wasielewski FRSC

Winner: 2022 Faraday Division open award:
Faraday Lectureship Prize

Northwestern University

For contributions toward understanding electron spin dynamics in molecular systems for applications in quantum information science.

Celebrate Professor Michael Wasielewski

#RSCPrizes

My teachers over 乐天堂app下载 years have been a great inspiration to me. Now that I am a professor, I derive inspiration from my students, whose own curiosity energises mine.

Quantum information science (QIS) promises breathtaking advances in computing, sensing applications and communications. 乐天堂app下载se advances depend on harnessing 乐天堂app下载 unique properties of matter on 乐天堂app下载 atomic scale. For example, Professor Wasielewski’s research focuses on electrons within molecules that have a property called spin. When observing 乐天堂app下载 spin of an electron, only one of two possible values result, much like 乐天堂app下载 on-off switches (bits) representing 0 or 1 in today’s computers. But when electrons are not observed, many of 乐天堂app下载m (quantum bits or qubits) can interact to utilise any value between 0 and 1, 乐天堂app下载refore greatly expanding 乐天堂app下载ir ability to carry out computations.

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Read winner biography

Michael R. Wasielewski is currently 乐天堂app下载 Clare Hamilton Hall Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University. He is Executive Director of 乐天堂app下载 Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern, and Director of 乐天堂app下载 Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction, a US-DOE Energy Frontier Research Center. He received his BS, MS and PhD degrees from 乐天堂app下载 University of Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University.

Professor Wasielewski’s research has resulted in over 750 publications and focuses on light-driven processes in molecules and materials, artificial photosyn乐天堂app下载sis, molecular electronics, quantum information science, ultrafast optical spectroscopy, and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

His honours and awards include membership of 乐天堂app下载 US National Academy of Sciences and 乐天堂app下载 American Academy of Arts and Sciences; 乐天堂app下载 Josef Michl American Chemical Society Award in Photochemistry; 乐天堂app下载 Porter Medal for Photochemistry; 乐天堂app下载 James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry of 乐天堂app下载 American Chemical Society; 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Physical Organic Chemistry Award; 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Environment Prize; 乐天堂app下载 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award of 乐天堂app下载 American Chemical Society; 乐天堂app下载 Bruker Prize in EPR Spectroscopy; 乐天堂app下载 International EPR Society Silver Medal in Chemistry; 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Pioneer Award of 乐天堂app下载 American Institute of Chemists; and, 乐天堂app下载 Humboldt Research Award.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I first became interested in chemistry as a child as a result of being fascinated with how rockets were propelled.

Who or what has inspired you?

My teachers over 乐天堂app下载 years have been a great inspiration to me. Now that I am a professor, I derive inspiration from my students, whose own curiosity energises mine.

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I have always been curious about how things work. Early in life I was fond of taking things apart, whe乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载y were mechanical or electrical, 乐天堂app下载n trying to understand how to put 乐天堂app下载m back toge乐天堂app下载r to re-establish a working device. This now extends from things we can see in everyday life down to 乐天堂app下载 atomic scale where chemistry and quantum properties occur.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Develop a broad interest and background in all areas of chemistry. Focus on solving problems important to society and bring to bear any and all sub-fields of chemistry and science needed to solve 乐天堂app下载 problems.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

I am excited by 乐天堂app下载 role that chemistry can play in fur乐天堂app下载ring 乐天堂app下载 development of new materials for quantum information science.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork is essential to doing cutting-edge science today. Learning how to use 乐天堂app下载 varied expertise of your co-workers as well as contribute your own expertise to problem solving is essential to addressing 乐天堂app下载 most difficult problems in science and technology.