Sergio Carbajo Garcia is a Basque-Spanish-American physicist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with concurrent faculty appointments in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Department of Physics & Astronomy.[2][3]
He founded and directs the Quantum Light-Matter Cooperative, a consortium focusing on understanding, designing, and controlling light-driven physical processes to help solve interconnected socio-technological challenges.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Early life and education
Carbajo was born on October 4, 1985, in Donostia-San Sebastian and grew up in Hernani, Gipuzkoa. From 2001 to 2003, he attended Barandiaran Lizeoa High School. From elementary school to high school, Carbajo was classically trained in music. He is a composer and publishes music under the stage name Julian Telleria.[1]
After receiving his Ph.D., Carbajo began working as an associate staff scientist for the Lasers in Science Division at Stanford's SLAC. In 2018, he was promoted to staff scientist and also became department head for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) Lasers for Accelerators Research and Development department until 2021.[8] As of 2022, he is a visiting professor for Stanford's SLAC Photon Science department. In this capacity, Carbajo bridges expertise across disciplines in photon sciences and accelerator physics for the advancement of XFEL technology and science, namely LCLS and LCLS-II science and instrumentation. His work at SLAC is central to his research career, combining quantum and nonlinear optics and laser-matter interactions to develop scientific instruments and processes.[8]
At UCLA, Carbajo primarily teaches courses on photonics, such as Principles of Photonics and Photonic Devices and Circuits. He also teaches courses that combine humanities with STEM, which includes the course Humanities-Informed STEM Studies and various other seminars.[12][13][14]
Carbajo was also a 2024 Nature Light Science and Applications Rising Star winner for his work in optics and photonics.[21][22][23][24]
Research
Carbajo's research integrates nonlinear and quantum optics, ultrafast laser science, and accelerator physics to develop advanced light sources and probe light-matter interactions. His work is characterized by the design and control of light fields to drive scientific and technological progress in areas from fundamental physics to biology.
Advanced Laser Sources, Structured Photonics, and Pulse Shaping: A core focus of Carbajo's work is the generation and manipulation of ultrashort, high-intensity laser pulses[25][26]. His research in this area includes optical parametric amplification (OPA[27]), frequency comb generation[28][29], and sophisticated pulse shaping techniques to create tailored light fields[30], also known as structured photonics. Recent work has demonstrated high-efficiency, single-stage tunable OPAs for photocathode applications and developed methods for simultaneous laser mixing and shaping to control photoemission[31][32][33].
Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration and X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs): Carbajo has made significant contributions to laser-driven electron acceleration and FELs, which are powerful sources of intense X-ray pulses. His early work provided a demonstration of direct longitudinal laser acceleration of electrons in free space[34][35] a concept with potential for compact accelerator designs. At facilities like the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS and LCLS-II), his research includes developing novel laser-based techniques for electron beam generation, shaping, and conditioning[36][37]. This includes shaping the temporal profile of electron bunches using laser heaters to suppress microbunching instabilities and enhance FEL performance[38][39].
Ultrafast X-ray Science and Molecular Dynamics: Utilizing the ultrafast X-ray pulses from FELs, Carbajo's research investigates atomic-scale dynamics in molecules and materials. He has been involved in pioneering time-resolved X-ray scattering studies to observe the molecular response to light upon photoexcitation[40][41][42], study photochemical reactions like the dissociation of transition metal complexes[43], and capture protein structural dynamics, such as in photosystem II[44][45] and cytochrome c oxidase[46]. His work also examines the interaction of these intense X-ray pulses with matter itself[47], such as the effect of X-ray-induced shockwaves on protein microcrystals[48].
Emergin Quantum Phenomena: Carbajo's research explores the intersection of ultrafast photonics and quantum science. This includes investigations into high-harmonic generation[49], strong-field terahertz science[50][51][52][53], and the use of quantum materials for advanced applications[54][55]. A growing theme in his work is the application of machine learning for the optimization and design of complex laser systems[56][57], creating "digital twins" to predict and control nonlinear dynamics[58][59].
Humanities-Informed STEM and Critical Science Studies: Carbajo actively publishes and teaches on the critical intersection of science with the humanities and social studies. He advocates for integrating diverse ways of knowing into scientific practice and education[60] and examines the influence of narrative and logic on scientific progress[61]. He is a founder of the Queered Science & Technology Center[62] an initiative dedicated to critiquing and reimagining scientific culture through the lens of indigenous, queer and feminist science studies. This scholarly work directly informs his development of courses on humanities-informed STEM at UCLA.
List of honors and awards
Year
Award/Honor
2024
Nature Light Science and Applications Rising Star Award[21]
SPIE Early Career Achievement Award in recognition of capacity to unify ultrafast and quantum optics with X-ray science to advance the mission of Basic Energy Sciences facilities[64]
Carbajo's activism is foundational to his career, centering on the transformation of scientific culture through structural and epistemological change. He is the founder and director of the Queered Science & Technology Center at UCLA, a scholarly initiative that employs queer theory and critical studies to challenge and reimagine the norms of scientific inquiry—a practice he terms "ontological activism."
Carbajo is queer and his institutional leadership includes serving as Director of Inclusive Excellence for UCLA's Electrical & Computer Engineering department[65], where he has launched initiatives like the Qties Monthly Series to elevate queer talent[66]. He was previously a founding member and chair of the LGBTQ+ employee resource group at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory[67], spearheading efforts that established gender-neutral bathrooms and the lab's first pride event. Some of his initiatives here included paid fellowships for people of color and the establishment of gender-neutral bathrooms[68]. He also played a role in organizing the first pride event at SLAC[69].
Carbajo integrates this philosophy directly into education, developing and teaching courses on Humanities-Informed STEM to create a more inclusive and critical scientific pedagogy. His work is characterized by building non-normative structures that dignify marginalized individuals and communities within science and technology. He has co-organized multiple workshops, including "Inclusive Diversity in Science: Guidelines for Research Teams," and was an executive committee member of APS-IDEA (American Physical Society - Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance) from 2020 to 2021.
References
1 2 Stories, Local (2023-03-22). "Meet Sergio Carbajo". Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
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