Motivated by the construction of the world's first x-ray free-electron laser two miles away from Stanford University, Sharon has started to explore the possibilities of extending concepts of laser physics as known at visible wavelengths to x-ray wavelengths. Sharon's research during the time he spent at Stanford revealed a plethora of new effects with x-ray photons. In October 2012, Sharon Shwartz joined the physics department at Bar-Ilan University as a new faculty member. He pursues the research on nonlinear and quantum phenomena in the x-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. In particular, Sharon explores fundamental phenomena associated with high fields at x-ray wavelengths, and develops new techniques to probe the world around us at atomic spatial and temporal scales.

Sharon Shwartz received his B.A in physics from the Technion in 2001. He joined the group of Professor Moredechai Segev at the Technion in 2002. Sharon's dissertation focused on the studying of the enormous light-induced changes in the optical, mechanical and electrical properties of the semiconductor CdZnTe:V. This research was a truly multidisciplinary study, involving nonlinear optics and material science techniques. Sharon was among the first six awardees of the prestigious Adams Fellowships for doctoral students awarded by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. In 2008, Sharon completed his doctorate and decided to join the group of Professor Stephen Harris at Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow.

Research Areas

• Nonlinear optics
• Quantum Optics
• Ultrafast science
• X-Ray Physics