Erfan Saydanzad

Assistant Professor of Physics

My research focuses on ultrafast and strong-field physics in molecules and nanoparticles (NPs). I develop theoretical models and numerical simulations to investigate processes that occur on attosecond to femtosecond timescales, including plasmon excitation in metal nanoparticles and the autoionization and predissociation dynamics of molecular Rydberg states. In addition, I study strong-field ionization and photoelectron emission in nanostructures. Together, these projects aim to reveal how laser fields drive electron and nuclear dynamics in complex systems, advancing our understanding of fundamental light–matter interactions under extreme conditions.

---

Professional Appointments

Assistant Professor            Kennesaw State University, Marietta, GA, USA      (8/2025 – present)

Postdoctoral Researcher Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA        (2021 – 2025)

Lecturer                              Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA        (2021 – 2022)

Lecturer                              University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran                    (2009 – 2013)

Researcher                         K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (2011 – 2012)

---

 
Publications

E. Saydanzad, H. Hoang, U. Thumm, “Autoionization and predissociation dynamics in Rydberg States of molecules,” In Preparation (2025).

E. Saydanzad, J. Powell, T. Renner, A. Summers, D. Rolles, C. Trallero-Herrero, M. F. Kling, A. Rudenko, U. Thumm, “Generation of Fast Photoelectrons in Strong-Field Emission from Metal Nanoparticles,” Nanophotonics, 14 ,1355 (2025).

E. Saydanzad et al., “Enhanced cutoff energies for the strong-field photoelectron emission of plasmonic nanoparticles,” Nanophotonics, 12, 1931 (2023).

J. Powell, E. Saydanzad et al., “Strong-field control of plasmonic properties in core-shell nanoparticles,” ACS Photonics, 9, 3515 (2022).

E. Saydanzad, J. Li, U. Thumm, “Strong-field ionization of plasmonic nanoparticles,” Phys. Rev. A, 106, 033103 (2022).

E. Saydanzad, J. Li, U. Thumm, “Spatiotemporal imaging of plasmonic fields near nanoparticles below the diffraction limit,” Phys. Rev. A, 98, 063422 (2018).

J. Li, E. Saydanzad, U. Thumm, “Imaging plasmonic fields with atomic spatiotemporal resolution,” Phys. Rev. Lett, 120, 223903 (2018).

E. Saydanzad, J. Li, U. Thumm, “Characterization of induced nanoplasmonic fields in time-resolved photoemission: A classical trajectory approach,” Phys. Rev. A, 95, 053406 (2017).

J. Li, E. Saydanzad, U. Thumm, “Attosecond time-resolved streaked photoelectron spectroscopy of transition-metal nanospheres,” Phys. Rev. A, 95, 043423 (2017).

J. Li, E. Saydanzad, U. Thumm, “Retrieving plasmonic near-field information: A quantum-mechanical model,” Phys. Rev. A, 94, 051401 (2016).

M. Rezvani, F. Farajollahi, A. Nikfarjam, P. Bakhtiarpour, E. Saydanzad, “Effect of solvents and thermal annealing on polymer LEDs,” Materials 6, 1994–2006 (2013).

E. Saydanzad, “Generating squeezed light via spontaneous parametric down-conversion in AlGaAs microring resonators,” MS Thesis (2009).