Kenneth Schafer

Kenneth Schafer is the Ball Family Distinguished Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he leads theoretical research in strong-field and attosecond physics. His work focuses on ultrafast laser-matter interactions, particularly attosecond pulse generation and their application in imaging electron dynamics. He co-leads a research group with Mette Gaarde, combining atomic/molecular physics with high-performance computing to model processes like high-harmonic generation and ionization dynamics.

Dr. Schafer earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Arizona (1989). His research integrates time-dependent Schrödinger and Maxwell equations, emphasizing non-perturbative approaches and collaborations with leading experimental groups. Key areas include attosecond waveform control, charge migration in molecules, and developing computational tools like time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT).

His scientific contributions span over 150 publications, with recent work advancing attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and the study of electron dynamics in complex molecules. He has pioneered methods to track charge migration using frequency-matched strobo-spectroscopy and contributed to attosecond pulse shaping at free-electron lasers (FERMI).

Collaborations include experimental groups at JILA, FERMI, and international institutions, focusing on applications such as imaging core excitons in solids and controlling quantum trajectories. His research bridges theory and experiment, addressing fundamental questions in ultrafast physics while advancing technological tools for attoscience.