Sumana Raj

Sumana Raj is a Researcher at the Chemical Sciences Department of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University. Since 2020, she has conducted experimental and theoretical research on ultrafast X-ray solution scattering and spectroscopy, focusing on solution-phase chemicals and transition-metal complexes. Her prior work includes postdoctoral studies at Stanford’s PULSE Institute and graduate research in nonlinear optics at UC Berkeley.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley (2019)
• BA in Chemistry, Cornell University (2013)

Research Interests: Sumana specializes in advanced X-ray techniques for probing electronic and structural dynamics at femtosecond timescales. Her expertise spans ultrafast pump-probe experiments, metal-ligand interactions, and nonthermal phase transitions in carbon systems, with applications in catalysis, materials science, and photochemistry.

Recent Publications: Her 2024 studies include experimental characterization of nickel cross-coupling catalysts, laser-irradiated carbon dynamics, and deformational isomerization in metal complexes. These works highlight her focus on bridging X-ray spectroscopy with quantum mechanical modeling to resolve ambiguities in excited-state assignments.