Open lecture by Prof. Karina Morgenstern at the Institute of Experimental Physics
As part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) programme, we warmly invite you to an open lecture by Prof. Karina Morgenstern from Ruhr University Bochum, entitled STM investigation of laser-driven processes at surfaces. The lecture will take place on Friday, 28 November 2025, at 12:15 p.m., at the Institute of Experimental Physics of the University of Wrocław (Rzewuski Hall, room 60, Plac Maksa Borna 9, 50-204 Wrocław).
The event is organised by the Institute of Experimental Physics and the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wrocław – Excellence Initiative: Research University, in cooperation with Welcome Point, International Office of the University of Wrocław.
About the lecture
Though largely influencing the efficiency of a reaction, the molecular-scale details of the local environment of the reactants are experimentally inaccessible, hindering an in-depth understanding of a catalyst’s reactivity, a prerequisite to maximising its efficiency. We introduced a method to follow individual molecules and their variable environment during a reaction in real space, utilising a combination of a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) with a femtosecond laser to initiate reactions and extended this approach, more recently, to tunable laser excitation. In this talk, I will introduce the method and present its successful application for direct and indirect excitation of surface-adsorbed molecules through laser excitations. The examples include laser-driven diffusion and dissociative activation of molecules ranging from inorganic molecules as CO and CO2 to organic molecules such as carbenes and nitrenes.
Date of publication: 16.10.2025
Added by: M.K.
