Avram Gutierrez (PhD Candidate, Year 3) from the Quantum Photo-Science Laboratory Received Outstanding Student Poster Award at ACS Spring 2026 Meeting
Summary
Avram Gutierrez, a third-year doctoral student (D3) in the Quantum Photo-Science Laboratory, received the Outstanding Student Poster Award at the “ACS Spring 2026” meeting, held in Atlanta from March 22 to 26 and organized by the American Chemical Society.
Presentation title
Ultrafast dynamics of ammonium thiocyanate under vibrational strong coupling
Authors
Avram Gutierrez, Joel Nishiuchi, Masaki Kiyokawa, Garrek Stemo, Hiroyuki Katsuki
Research detail
This study focuses on a novel state known as a vibrational polariton, which arises from the hybridization of molecular vibrational states and optical modes confined in a microscopic cavity. In the vibrational polariton state, it is believed that intrinsic physical and chemical properties of materials can be modified, and various changes—such as in chemical reaction rates and ionic conductivity—have been reported. However, the fundamental mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. In this work, by employing ammonium thiocyanate, which exhibits a large Rabi splitting, we discovered that molecular relaxation within the cavity becomes faster when the molecular vibrational mode and the cavity mode are detuned, rather than resonant. This behavior deviates from conventional expectations; however, it indicates that the process by which molecules dissipate energy as photons via polaritons is enhanced under detuned conditions compared to the resonant case. These findings represent an important step toward a deeper understanding of polariton dynamics.
Comment
I am deeply grateful to receive the Outstanding Student Poster Award from the ACS Division of Physical Chemistry. It was already a privilege to present my research at the ACS Spring 2026 Meeting and to connect in person with the community working in our field. This achievement would not have been possible without the guidance and support of Professor Hiroyuki Katsuki, Assistant Professor Garrek Stemo, my co-authors, and my colleagues at the Quantum Photo-Science Laboratory. Attending this conference, combined with this award, has motivated me to dig deeper and keep exploring the ultrafast dynamics of systems under vibrational strong coupling.