Professor Zorn’s research is on the cooling and trapping of neutral molecules. This work utilizes photodissociation of molecular complexes in a hypersonic beam to generate gas-phase neutral, polar molecules with effective temperatures on the order of microkelvins. The large electric dipole moment of these molecules permits the use of inhomogeneous electric fields for guidance in storage rings and for confinement in compact traps. This enables detailed studies of excited state lifetimes, radiative interactions and intermolecular processes.

Professor Zorn’s teaching ranges from a course in quantum mechanics that emphasizes visual reasoning to a course on physics of everyday life that makes extensive use of hands-on experiments.

In a broader context, Professor Zorn does graphic arts and sculpture to commemorate discoveries in physics; permanent outdoor installations of his bronze sculptures include those on the campuses of the University of Michigan and the University of Nevada. Professor Zorn’s work can be found on his website.