Dr. Sergio Carbajo, UCLA
Quantum Filmmaking: Capturing and Controlling Ultrafast Dynamics from Atoms to Applications
Abstract – The ability to visualize and control quantum systems in action—spanning attosecond electron dynamics to functional protein motions—holds transformative potential for science and technology. Over the past decade, advances in ultrafast photon and electron sources, such as optical frequency combs, X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), and compact quantum light sources, have enabled unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution of quantum processes. These tools now allow us to “film” phenomena like photosynthetic water oxidation, light-triggered protein conformational changes, and quantum dot-based photon emission, bridging gaps between fundamental physics and applications in energy, medicine, and computing.
In this talk, I will present our recent breakthroughs in attosecond and femtosecond imaging, including novel QED-based light-matter interactions and compact accelerator technologies that democratize access to ultrafast science. I will further outline a vision for the next decade: leveraging these tools to engineer functional quantum systems, from scalable photonic quantum computing with high-fidelity cluster states to dynamic protein mapping for personalized medicine. By integrating interdisciplinary approaches—spanning quantum electrodynamics, molecular biophysics, and computational algorithms—our work aims to translate atomic-scale insights into solutions for societal challenges. This research not only expands the frontiers of attosecond science but also redefines its role in addressing global needs.
Bio – Carbajo is an assistant professor at the UCLA Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) and the UCLA Physics & Astronomy departments and a visiting professor at Stanford University’s Photon Science Division at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. He is the founder and director of the Quantum Light-Matter Cooperative, a scientific consortium whose mission is to understand, design, and ultimately control light-driven physical processes to help solve interconnected socio-technological challenges.
He graduated with a BS in Telecom Engineering from Tecnun, Universidad de Navarra in 2009. In 2012, he received his M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Colorado State University’s National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. Later he continued his joint doctoral program simultaneously at the Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron, and obtained his Ph.D. in Physics in 2015. He has received several awards recognizing his contributions to ultrafast photon sciences and their application in life and energy sciences, including the 2024 Nature LSA Rising Star Award, the 2024 Humboldt Fellow Award, the 2024 ONR Young Investigator Program award, the 2023 AFOSR Young Investigator Program award, the 2021 Horizon Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the 2021 SPIE Early Career Award, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship in 2019, SRI 2018 Young Scientist Award, and the PIER Helmholtz Foundation Dissertation Award in 2015, among others. He teaches photonics, ultrafast and quantum optics, and accelerator physics at UCLA and at the U.S. Particle Accelerator School. He currently holds various patents, is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications – including two book chapters – and has presented his work at over 60 international conferences.