Hsing-Ta Chen

Hsing-Ta Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame's College of Science. His research group, the Theta Research Group, focuses on theoretical chemical physics with an emphasis on using light to control chemical and material properties.

Dr. Chen received his educational training at prestigious institutions: B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics and Physics from National Taiwan University (2006, 2010), and Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Columbia University (2016). Following his doctoral studies, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania (2017-2022) before joining Notre Dame's faculty in 2022.

His research spans three primary areas: electron transfer in plasmonic materials, collective behavior of molecules in optical cavities, and interfacial energy exchange using quantum simulations. The Chen group develops theoretical tools and simulation methods to study excited-state dynamics and light-matter interactions across systems ranging from plasmonic excitation of metallic clusters to laser-driven non-adiabatic molecular dynamics and collective optical responses of molecular ensembles.

Analysis of Dr. Chen's recent publications reveals a strong focus on cavity quantum electrodynamics, polariton transport, and the effects of disorder on collective molecular behavior. His work consistently bridges theoretical developments with practical applications for next-generation photovoltaic cells and electronic nano-devices, with particular emphasis on energy conversion efficiency and quantum simulation methods.

Scientific Awards:

• Sackler Postdoctoral Fellow, Tel Aviv University (2016)
• Columbia-Upjohn Fellow (2013-2014)
• Student Thesis Award, Taiwan Physical Society (2010)
• CRC Award for Computational Sciences and Visualization (2025)

Dr. Chen actively mentors a diverse research group including postdoctoral researcher Siwei Wang and graduate students Robert Catuto, Shravan Kumar Sharma, Guangming Liu, Wei-Kuo Li, and Zach Stichter. His group has received recognition including the Graduate Student Government Best Use of Math Modeling Award and the CRC Award for Computational Sciences and Visualization. The Theta Research Group collaborates extensively with researchers worldwide and regularly participates in major conferences including the Midwest Theoretical Chemistry Conference and workshops on quantum effects in condensed-phase systems.

The Theta Research Group maintains active collaborations with institutions including Princeton University, Academia Sinica, and the University of Pennsylvania. They have organized workshops such as the 2024 Trends in Quantum Matters at Notre Dame and participate in initiatives like ND SunRISE (Solar & Renewable Initiatives for Sustainable Energy), demonstrating their commitment to addressing energy challenges through fundamental research.