Welcome to the Warren Group

Research Overview

Our work focuses on the design and application of what might best be called novel pulsed techniques, using controlled radiation fields to alter dynamics. The heart of the work is chemical physics, and most of what we do is ultrafast laser spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. It generally involves an intimate mixture of theory and experiment: recent publications are roughly an equal mix of pencil- and-paper theory, computer calculations with our workstations, and experiments. Collaborations also play an important role, particularly for medical applications.

The heart of the work is chemical physics; most of what we do is ultrafast laser spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. There is no lack of difficult problems to solve in either field. As in much of science, the trick is to find difficult problems that are also important. In our work, the importance often comes from the demonstrated applications, which branch out over a wide range of fields, ranging from optics and telecommunications to clinical magnetic resonance imaging. For example, our theoretical work to explain unexpected NMR signals in concentrated samples, such as proteins in water, led us to realize that several fundamental, fifty-year-old assumptions behind solution NMR had to be modified. Our rework of the theoretical framework of the field led us to predict new pulse sequences, which had never been tried because they would have been predicted to be totally useless in the conventional picture. These sequences give us an entirely new method for contrast enhancement in clinical magnetic resonance imaging; they also enhance functional magnetic resonance imaging, a new technique that permits direct visualization of brain centers involved in motor processes. They have let us acquire the highest field, high-resolution NMR spectra ever taken, and give us new tools for measuring tissue structure on a distance scale that is "invisible" to conventional MR methods.

As another example, our techniques to shape femtosecond laser pulses, which we developed to promote laser control of chemical and biochemical reactions, have led to optical communications with terabit per second data rates, and has also led to design of high-performance components for networks. These techniques are also leading to medical imaging with shaped laser pulses. These projects are some of the core ideas behind the new Duke Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging, which Warren directs. CMBI brings together faculty from Arts and Sciences; the Pratt School of Engineering; and the Duke University Medical School to pursue novel imaging applications.

Current Federally Funded Research

Intermolecular Multiple-Quantum Coherence Effects in MRI
Dynamics and Characterization of Long-Lived Hyperpolarized Molecules in Magnetic Resonance
Improving Melanoma Diagnosis with Pump-Probe Optical Imaging

Recently Completed Federally Funded Projects

Imaging Nonlinear Absorption of Biomarkers for Improved Detection of Melanoma

LASERS | NMR


	The Warren Research Group at Duke University Home Research LASERS NMR Publications Personnel Useful Links Contact Research Overview Our work focuses on the design and application of what might best be called novel pulsed techniques, using controlled radiation fields to alter dynamics. The heart of the work is chemical physics, and most of what we do is ultrafast laser spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. It generally involves an intimate mixture of theory and experiment: recent publications are roughly an equal mix of pencil- and-paper theory, computer calculations with our workstations, and experiments. Collaborations also play an important role, particularly for medical applications. The heart of the work is chemical physics; most of what we do is ultrafast laser spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. There is no lack of difficult problems to solve in either field. As in much of science, the trick is to find difficult problems that are also important. In our work, the importance often comes from the demonstrated applications, which branch out over a wide range of fields, ranging from optics and telecommunications to clinical magnetic resonance imaging. For example, our theoretical work to explain unexpected NMR signals in concentrated samples, such as proteins in water, led us to realize that several fundamental, fifty-year-old assumptions behind solution NMR had to be modified. Our rework of the theoretical framework of the field led us to predict new pulse sequences, which had never been tried because they would have been predicted to be totally useless in the conventional picture. These sequences give us an entirely new method for contrast enhancement in clinical magnetic resonance imaging; they also enhance functional magnetic resonance imaging, a new technique that permits direct visualization of brain centers involved in motor processes. They have let us acquire the highest field, high-resolution NMR spectra ever taken, and give us new tools for measuring tissue structure on a distance scale that is "invisible" to conventional MR methods. As another example, our techniques to shape femtosecond laser pulses, which we developed to promote laser control of chemical and biochemical reactions, have led to optical communications with terabit per second data rates, and has also led to design of high-performance components for networks. These techniques are also leading to medical imaging with shaped laser pulses. These projects are some of the core ideas behind the new Duke Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging, which Warren directs. CMBI brings together faculty from Arts and Sciences; the Pratt School of Engineering; and the Duke University Medical School to pursue novel imaging applications. Current Federally Funded Research Intermolecular Multiple-Quantum Coherence Effects in MRI Dynamics and Characterization of Long-Lived Hyperpolarized Molecules in Magnetic Resonance Improving Melanoma Diagnosis with Pump-Probe Optical Imaging Recently Completed Federally Funded Projects Imaging Nonlinear Absorption of Biomarkers for Improved Detection of Melanoma LASERS \| NMR Website concerns - contact mike.conti@duke.edu