Advancing Spectroscopy: A SciX Interview with Wei Xiong

Wei Xiong was presented with the Coblentz Award today at SciX in a plenary session at 11:00 am. During the plenary session, he delivered a talk titled, “Ultrafast Dynamics of Molecular Polaritons: How Can A Photonic Cavity Modify Molecular Dynamics?”

After his plenary lecture, Xiong sat down with us to discuss more about his research, and to get his view on a few important trends in spectroscopic research.

Wei Xiong works as a Professor and Kent Wilson Faculty Scholar in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. At UCSD, Wei’s research focuses on using and developing ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopic and imaging tools to reveal molecular structures and dynamics of materials, including ultrafast dynamics of polaritonic systems, guest molecule adsorptions in self-assembled materials, femtosecond charge transfer dynamics on organic material interfaces. He has specifically pioneered using and developing ultrafast multidimensional spectroscopy to reveal the dynamics and interactions between molecule polaritons.

In this interview clip, Xiong answers the following questions:

• What does your being named the recipient of the Coblentz Award mean to you professionally and personally?
• Is there a piece of information about your career or yourself that you have never shared in an interview?
• What do you like most about your current job at the University of California, San Diego?