Our work is dedicated to laser spectroscopy and coherent sensing. We use ultrashort laser pulses on the femtosecond time scale to learn more about the optical properties of atoms and molecules, so far mostly in the gas phase. Recently, we have extended our research focus to applications of photochemical and biophysical relevance.
Figure 1: Extreme Ultraviolet (XUV) Dual Comb Spectroscopy yielding ultra-broadband (>150 THz) absorption spectra of atoms and molecules with an unparalleled spectral resolution on the order of µeV. This resolution is hitherto unprecedented for XUV table top sources but mandatory for example for the resolution of high principal quantum numbers in Rydberg series (the example shows the Rydberg series in argon converging against the ionization limit at 15.76 eV).
Bachelor, Master and PhD theses
For potential projects in the field of laser spectroscopy, please contact
bernhardt @tugraz.at
Group Excursion to the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) in Vienna: The German Physical Society (DPG) and the Austrian Physical Society (ÖPG) organized this year`s Lise Meitner Lecture with the ÖAW. Donna Strickland shared her insights and experiences with quite different aspects of chirped pulse amplification in her talk on “Generating High-Intensity, Ultrashort Optical Pulses”.
Event link: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/news/ultrakurze-lichtpulse
With the start of my university professorship, we are expanding our research focus as Coherent Sensing group to applied environmental sciences including atmospheric monitoring, trace gas sensing and the investigation of novel materials for photo-voltaics.
Stay tuned for the latest developments, open positions or contact me directly:
bernhardt @tugraz.at
Read about our latest research projects in our contribution to the
ÖAW Junge Akademie Blog @ DER STANDARD
Birgitta Bernhardt receives the renowned prize for her project to investigate the interaction between UV light and matter in spectral ranges that have not yet been extensively researched.
With her project Electronic Fingerprint Spectroscopy, Birgitta Bernhardt will develop a novel spectrometer that enables a closer look onto electron dynamics in molecules.
Our article
"Ultrafast quantum control of ionization dynamics in krypton"
was one of the most read* Nature Communications physics articles in 2018!
*Check out the full collection of Nature Communications:
Top 50: Physics