Hans Riesen is Emeritus Professor of Physical Chemistry/Chemical Physics at UNSW Canberra (conferred in 2025) and remains actively engaged in laser spectroscopy of the solid state. He served as Associate Dean (Research) at UNSW Canberra from 2012 to 2020.
Professor Riesen studied at ETH Zurich and the University of Berne, Switzerland, completing his PhD (Dr. phil.-nat.) in 1987 under Professor H.U. Güdel, working on the optical spectroscopy of exchange‑coupled binuclear chromium(III) complexes. From 1987 to 1998 he worked at the Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, as Post‑doctoral Fellow, Research Fellow, ARC Research Fellow and Fellow with Professor Elmars Krausz. He joined UNSW Canberra in 1998.
Over more than four decades, Professor Riesen’s research has focused on laser spectroscopy of transition‑metal‑ion‑doped insulators and wide band‑gap semiconductors, with particular emphasis on spectral hole‑burning, light‑induced changes in solids, and their applications in ultra‑high‑density optical data storage and optical signal processing, and X-ray storage phosphors. His recent work includes studies of slow and fast light generation, optical solitons, and optical free induction decay arising from transient hole‑burning and related coherent phenomena.
Professor Riesen has published over 140 journal articles, several book chapters, and holds international patents (USA, Europe, Australia) in the field of x‑ray storage phosphors.