Chris Jacobsen

Chris Jacobsen is Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University and head of the X-ray Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory. His research pioneers x-ray microscopy techniques applied to biology, environmental science, and materials science.

His group develops diffractive optics (Fresnel zone plates) and lensless phase-retrieval methods achieving ≤30 nm resolution. They integrate spectroscopy for nanoscale chemical speciation, fluorescence for trace element mapping, and quantitative phase contrast imaging for concentration measurements. Research addresses radiation damage through cryo-instrumentation and specialized sample preparation.

Key awards include:

• Argonne Distinguished Fellow (2016)
• Kurt Heinrich Award (2001)
• R&D 100 Award (1999)
• International Dennis Gabor Award (1996)
• Presidential Faculty Fellow (1992-1997)
• Fellow of APS (2011), AAAS (2002), and OSA (1999)

Students explore optical physics and instrumentation while collaborating across biology, environmental science, and materials disciplines using synchrotron facilities at Argonne, Berkeley, and other national laboratories.

He leads the X-ray Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory, directing instrumentation development for hard X-ray microscopy applications.