Daniel P. Weitekamp

Daniel P. Weitekamp is a Professor of Chemical Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he has been affiliated since 1985. His academic journey includes a B.A. from Harvard College (1974) and a Ph.D. from the University of California (1982).

• Research Focus: Magnetic resonance, quantum mechanics, and spectroscopic applications in chemistry and nanoscale physics.
• Teaching: Co-instructor of The Elements of Quantum Chemistry (Ch 125) and Scientific Writing (Ch/ChE 91) at Caltech.

Professor Weitekamp's research explores novel magnetic resonance techniques to study interfacial and nanoscale chemical systems. He specializes in leveraging quantum and statistical mechanics to design experiments that reveal molecular structure and dynamics through NMR lineshapes and polarization effects.

Recent publications highlight advancements in force-detected NMR, resonator-induced polarization, and hyperpolarization methods. These works demonstrate his focus on ultrasensitive spectroscopy for semiconductor devices, quantum confinement, and molecular binding studies.

His group develops prototype instruments for surface-sensitive spin and optical spectroscopy, enabling high-resolution analysis of nanostructures and combinatorial molecular libraries.