Petros Samartzis is currently a Principal Researcher at IESL-FORTH. He graduated from the Chemistry Department of the University of Crete in 1996 and received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry  from the same Department in 2003, under the supervision of Theo Kitsopoulos . He carried out post-doctoral research in the USA, initially at the University of California Santa Barbara (2003-2007) under the supervision of Alec Wodtke and then at the California Institute of Technology-Caltech (2007-2009) under the supervision of A. Zewail (Nobel in Chemistry 1999). He returned to Greece and has been working at IESL-FORTH since 2010.

PS studies Chemistry using photons, preferably laser photons. His research interests range from the dynamics of excited molecular states and the structural and energetic monitoring of chemical reactivity to the spectroscopic detection of target molecules in complex chemical mixtures. Among other things, he has studied small molecule photolysis mechanisms, photolytic production of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen, spectroscopic detection and characterization of high energy density molecules, cluster photolysis mechanisms, excitation/relaxation processes in organic crystals and carbon nanotubes, interactions at high-energy molecular excited states and spectroscopic fossil fuel adulteration detection. Over the years he has used a variety of techniques (optical & laser spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Velocity Mapping/Slice Imaging, Ultrafast Electron Diffraction), mass spectrometry) and tools (lasers, high vacuum, custom TOF mass spectrometers, position-sensitive detectors, custom-built electron diffractometers, optical spectrometers) which he aims to further develop and expand.

Education

• 2003, PhD., Chemistry Department, University of Crete, Greece
• 1996, BSc., Chemistry Department, University of Crete, Greece

Career

• 2019-today, Principal Researcher, IESL-FORTH, Greece
• 2015-2019, Assistant Researcher, IESL-FORTH, Greece
• 2010-2015, Contracted Researcher, IESL-FORTH, Greece
• 2007-2009, Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemistry & Chem. Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA
• 2003-2007, Postdoc, Chemistry Dpt., University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), USA

Interests

• Laser Chemistry
• Dynamics of excited molecules and reaction intermediates
• Structural Dynamics in chemical reactions
• Detection of target molecules in chemical mixtures
• Development of new techniques and instruments