David John Nesbitt

Fellow; Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Physicist. Fellow; Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Physicist. Contributed to the experimental and theoretical understanding of molecular structures and dynamics through the use of high resolution laser spectroscopy. His pioneering work in developing a direct laser absorption technique to obtain high resolution spectra of van der Waals molecules in slit jet expansions provides an expanse of new experimental and theoretical knowledge about weak chemical bonds. Nesbitt contributed to understanding of numerous other important research areas including reaction kinetics and transition strengths, intramolecular vibrational energy transfer, alignment effects in beam expansions, single collision rotationally resolved energy transfer and reaction dynamics, dynamical collisions with liquid surfaces, and near-field optical microscopy/single molecule spectroscopy. Developed an innovative program of measurements of nanostructured materials by the use of novel spectroscopic and microscopy methods. He demonstrated 2nm spatial enhancements by field interactions of metal probe tips near dye molecules. He pioneered measurements of fluorescence on/off blinking statistics in single semiconductor quantum dots, deriving an unexpected power law dependence for this process. Addressed key biological systems using time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer to unravel RNA folding dynamics and kinetics.