Mette Gaarde Named LSU Distinguished Research Master

Mette Gaarde, the Les and Dot Broussard Alumni Professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been recognized for her scholarship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Each year, LSU’s Office of Research & Economic Development honors the exceptional research and scholarship of two LSU faculty as Distinguished Research Masters.

Gaarde’s research adds critical knowledge on how electrons inside atoms, molecules and solids respond when exposed to short laser pulses. These electrons naturally move on the attosecond time scale, and their laser-driven motion leads to the production of attosecond light pulses—the shortest bursts of light ever made and the subject of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. The ultrafast response of electrons to an attosecond light pulse represents the first few frames of a very short “molecular movie” that follows the evolution of a photochemical reaction from its very beginning. Gaarde uses high-performance computer simulations to study both the production of attosecond light pulses and the dynamics they initiate. One attosecond is one billionth of a billionth of a second, which means there are more attoseconds in one second than seconds since the beginning of our universe. The electron behavior Gaarde studies has implications for energy, health and defense technologies as well as the creation of new materials.

“Working closely with my colleagues and group members at LSU and around the world to discover new results and explain them together—that is my favorite thing about being a researcher,” Gaarde said.

Gaarde has contributed to LSU and her profession through service at the highest level. In addition to a variety of committee work in the Department, College, and University, she is a leader in her field. Last year she served as Chair of the American Physical Society’s (APS) Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP), and this year serves as Past-Chair. This is an elected position by the DAMOP membership, which is the second largest division of APS with over 3,300 members. She was also appointed as a member of the writing committee for the Decadal Assessment on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science 2020 conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. This latter report is very influential in the field (a “decadal”). Being elected by the broader DAMOP community to the highest leadership post and appointed to a National Academy Committee (with about half the committee being members of the National Academy of Sciences) reflects the very high regard in which Prof. Gaarde is held by both the broader community and leadership in the field. 

“Prof. Gaarde’s teaching record is equally impressive, where she consistently receives nearly perfect scores for the Overall Instructor question across a wide range of courses,” said Jeffrey Blackmon, Chair, Department of Physics & Astronomy. “Prof. Gaarde is also well- regarded as a mentor, involving many undergraduate students in her research. In addition, she has been heavily involved in the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP), first as chair of the LSU-hosted conference in 2014 and then in the Chair-line of the APS National Organizing Committee for CUWiP from 2014 – 2017.” 

Gaarde received her PhD in physics from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1997. Since joining the LSU faculty in 2003, she has published more than 100 papers and secured more than $4 million in research grants. Gaarde has received multiple LSU awards—most recently, the 2019 Distinguished Faculty Award. She has mentored dozens of undergraduate and graduate research students, including in collaboration with Anne L’Huillier, one of the 2023 laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physics, who was Gaarde’s PhD advisor.

Paul J. Frick, Psychology, College of Humanities & Social Sciences received the Distinguished Research Master in the Arts, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences category.

View the 2024 LSU Distinguished Research Masters Ceremony Recap:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5MDZLNnut4

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Contact:

Mimi LaValle

LSU Physics & Astronomy

225-439-5633

mlavall@lsu.edu