Sponsored by the CSC Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Division, University of Toronto, Department of Chemistry and Xerox Canada
The John C. Polanyi Award is presented for excellence by a scientist carrying out research in Canada in physical, theoretical or computational chemistry or chemical physics.
View the Terms of Reference and list of Past Winners
The 2022 winner of the John C. Polanyi Award is:
Patanjali Kambhampati, MCIC
McGill University
Kambhampati is an ultrafast laser spectroscopist, with emphasis on the workings of electronic materials. He has done pioneering work unraveling ultrafast exciton dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots using the state-resolved pump/probe spectroscopy (SRPP) that he developed in 2005. He has created one of the most sophisticated spectroscopy labs worldwide, where he has trained 20 PhD students. Using SRPP, his group has produced the most detailed understanding of the exciton dynamics in quantum dots. Most recently, his group has developed a totally new method for performing Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy (2DE) using cutting edge non-classical optics of pulse shapers and hollow core fibers. His 2DE work has already provided breakthrough results in the fields of polarons in perovskite semiconductors and electronic coherence in quantum dynamics of materials. In the field of materials science, he is widely regarded as a leading expert on the science of quantum dots and is now rapidly emerging as a leading voice in the field perovskite materials. His work on the surface science of nanocrystals has changed the way we think about nanocrystals and the role that the surfaces play in their electronic behavior.