KELES LAB · UNC CHARLOTTE · ULTRAFAST MATERIALS DISCOVERY
One femtosecond. 2.5 million years.
Andromeda, 2.5 million light-years away, is our nearest major galaxy. We are out to discover a different one — the uncharted galaxy of possible materials — using pulses of light one femtosecond long.
Andromeda through the oaks · Mount Hamilton, California, 2020 · photograph by Ozgur Keles
© 2026 Ozgur Keles
Research
Making materials with light, and understanding why it works.
We study how femtosecond pulses turn precursors into materials, how to make that process repeatable and scalable, and how to measure, model, and test what we make.
Ultrafast Materials Formation
Discovering photon-activated mechanisms from molecular excitation to material formation.
Programmable Laser Manufacturing
Translating local process rules into reliable and scalable fabrication.
Measure, Model, Select
Time-resolved measurement and model-guided experimentation.
Mechanics, Interfaces, and Reliability
Testing whether materials, interfaces, and structures persist and perform.
Data
Data behind the papers
Every value in the Carbonyl Atlas traces to its page and verbatim sentence. Our simulation datasets carry every input needed to repeat the runs, with a DOI and a license.
See the dataNews
- Conference on Economic Complexity 2026: Capability compression and software-defined manufacturing
- From quantum dots to carbon-fiber composites: what should we test next?
- Screening polymer matrices for cryogenic applications — a Materials & Design study
