people

PI: Christian Schäfer (mail)

orcid, google-scholar, LinkedIn

Short vita

Since 2025: Faculty member at the TU Wien

2023-2025: Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

2021-2023: PostDoc at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2) at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

2016-2020: PhD Student at the Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD), Hamburg, Germany

PhD student: Adam Vavrecka

Short vita

now: PhD student in the AILM group since Sep 2025

previously: BSc and MSc at Charles University Prague

Projects

Adam investigates direct plasmonic catalysis in electromagnetic superlattices and bound-state-in-continuum (BIC) systems. His research explores how light can speed up or steer reactions while avoiding the damage to the catalyst that is common in thermally driven processes. His work contributes to the design of sustainable technologies for clean energy and chemical production, such as light-driven hydrogen generation.

PhD student: Jonas Müller

Short vita

now: PhD student in the AILM group since Nov 2025

previously: BSc and MSc at Uni Bremen, Germany

Projects

Jonas advances ab initio and machine learning methodology for polaritonic systems. His work will pave a way to describe strong coupling for complex solute-solvent mixtures near surfaces and with spatially resolved coupling strength. Based on his work, we will advance our understanding of polaritonic chemistry and strong coupling near plasmonic structures. This might deliver new catalysts without rare materials, without deterioration, and without the requiremet for external energy.

PhD student: Lorenzo dei Rossi

Short vita

now: PhD student in the AILM group since Oct 2026

previously: BSc and MSc Chemistry in Padua

Projects

Plasmonic catalysis is a promising angle to transform our chemical industry away from a dependence on external energy sources and towards using the sun as energy source – may it be for energy generation or storage. Lorenzo’s main project aims to develop a seamless prediction of the catalytic efficiency in flow-cells that utilize the concept of plasmonic catalysis. He develops a self-consistent approach that combines atomistic calculations with the physics at device level, i.e., incoming light, reactant, and product flow. His work takes therefore an important step from the white-board to industrial reality.

Alumni: Kai Müller

Short vita

now: PostDoc in Oxford

previously: PhD with Prof. Dr. Walter Strunz at TU Dresden and visiting PhD student in the group

Projects

No quantum system is perfectly isolated, and for many applications, the bath plays an essential role. Kai is developing methods that can describe larger many-body systems (strongly) interacting with a structured bath. Such methods are important to understand optical features of molecules that are embedded in host materials. They also provide novel insight into miniature versions of lasers which comprise only a few molecules in nanometer-sized cavities.

Alumni: Erik K. Öhman

Short vita

previously: master student at Chalmers University of technology

Projects

Erik uses computational ab initio methods and machine learning to identify promising guest-host combinations for molecular quantum light-matter interfaces.