Distinctive Voices — Molecular Cinema: Capturing the Dance of Atoms and Electrons

The adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ motivates visualization across disciplines, but how do we capture the motion of atoms and electrons that move faster than anything we can directly observe? In this talk, Sarah will describe how we create ‘molecular movies’ using ultrafast spectroscopy and microscopy that can freeze motion on femtosecond timescales. These atomic-scale films reveal how heat and energy dissipates in materials, how electrons reorganize during reactions, and how information is transferred on the nanoscale. She will share examples of what these molecular movies teach us about designing better solar cells and new ways to shape thermoelectric devices, illustrating how the choreography of atoms often surprises us with new design principles.

Featured Speaker:

Dr. Sarah B. King

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute

Dr. King received her Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley in 2015. Her research focuses on the structure and dynamics of interfaces. Among her many awards she was named a Sloan Research Fellow in 2025 and recieved an NSF CAREER award in 2025. When not in the lab, Sarah enjoys getting active and various creative fiber arts.