Greg Engel Molecular Engineering/Chemistry

Research in the Berggren Center focuses on novel quantum sensors to probe biological system at the nanoscale while laying the foundation to facilitate widespread adoption of these technologies across biology. To create these sensors, we need to understand coherent dynamics, excited state reactivity, non-radiative relaxation, and dephasing.

In my group, we explore materials and biological systems that can be optimized to exploit manifestly quantum mechanical phenomena to drive coherent energy transfer, to steer trajectories through conical intersections and to protect long-lived quantum coherence. To probe these systems, we design new femtosecond spectrometers and microscopes to observe how electronic states couple to one another much the way COSY NMR explores nuclear spin coupling. Exploiting this analogy, we recently developed the first optical analog to MRI for rapid detection electronic couplings.

The Berggren Center is strongly interdisciplinary; graduate students matriculate through Chemistry, Molecular Engineering, Physics, and the Biophysical Sciences while postdoctoral scholars have PhDs in Chemistry, Engineering, Biology, or Physics. Engel and his group members collaborate with physicists, biologists, engineers, and corporate partners to develop new technologies and new science.

Greg enjoys spending time with his family, hiking in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, cross country skiing (he's not any good), and competitive shooting.