Jörn Manz is a distinguished German theoretical chemist renowned for his pioneering contributions to quantum reaction dynamics and femtochemistry. Born in Hamburg in 1947, he completed his early education at Stormarnschule Ahrensburg before embarking on his academic journey in physics at the University of Hamburg and later the University of Munich. Following his doctoral studies in Theoretical Chemistry at the Technical University Munich under Ludwig Hofacker, where he earned his PhD in 1972 with research on quantum mechanical model calculations for branched exchange reactions, he developed foundational methodologies for treating molecular elementary processes. His academic career advanced significantly when he secured his first professorship at the University of Würzburg in 1985, followed by his appointment as Professor of Theoretical Chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin in 1992, where he directed the Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry from 1993 to 1999, establishing himself as a leading figure in the field of chemical dynamics.
Professor Manz's theoretical work has profoundly shaped our understanding of ultrafast chemical processes, particularly through his leadership in the emerging field of Femtosecond Chemistry. His development of quantum theoretical frameworks for analyzing and controlling chemical reactions has provided essential tools for studying molecular dynamics at unprecedented timescales, bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and observable chemical phenomena. As co-editor of the seminal 1995 book on Femtosecond Chemistry with his colleague Ludger Wöste, he helped define the theoretical foundations of this transformative approach to studying chemical transformations. His research on concerted electronic and nuclear fluxes has revealed fundamental insights into reaction mechanisms that occur on femtosecond and attosecond timescales, significantly advancing the theoretical underpinnings of ultrafast laser spectroscopy and enabling new experimental approaches to tracking chemical reactions in real time.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Professor Manz has played a pivotal role in shaping the international scientific landscape through his leadership in organizing the influential series of conferences on Femtosecond Chemistry that began in 1993. His election to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2009 recognizes his enduring impact on theoretical chemistry, while his more recent collaborations with Shanxi University in China as Distinguished Expert and Scholar of the 100 Talents Program demonstrate the continued global relevance of his expertise. He has mentored numerous researchers through his long-standing academic positions and has consistently fostered interdisciplinary connections between physics and chemistry, particularly through his decades of lectures on the interface between natural science and theology. As Professor Emeritus at Freie Universität Berlin, he continues to contribute to the advancement of quantum reaction dynamics while his theoretical frameworks remain essential for contemporary research in attochemistry and the control of chemical processes at the quantum level.
