Name: Dr. Watheq Al-Basheer

Title: Associate Professor

Brief research interests: "Focus of research in my group is centered on the spectroscopy of cold chiral and achiral molecules."

Research Areas e.g., Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Chemical Physics

Office: 6/231

Tel: 966-1-860-2216

 email: watheq@kfupm.edu.sa

 Website

Lab(s): 

Affiliated Center(s): Interdisciplinary Research Center of Membranes and Water Security

Research Interests:

"Al-Basheer group research interests are focused on the spectroscopy of small chiral and achiral molecules using laser light of different spectral regions, i.e. UV, VIS and IR, to probe molecules’ electronic and vibrational states, and to study the medium, temperature and other effects. In Al-Basheer’s group, experimental setups are developed to perform high-resolution spectroscopic methods on cold gaseous molecules, and to couple experimental results with theoretical calculations and modelling.”

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Watheq Al-Basheer is an Associate Professor of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals. In Dec. 2006, he received his Ph.D. degree in AMO Physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. Upon successfully finishing his Ph.D. dissertation, he accepted a research associate position at the University of Calgary, Canada. In 2009, he received a research Fellowship from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. In 2011, he accepted a Research Scientist position at Environment Canada before joining the KFUPM’s Physics department in Sep. 2012. Among few received awards and fellowships, Dr. Al-Basheer is the recipient of the Prestigious Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Fellowship. He is a two times recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award, and the recipient of the Excellence Advising Award. He is a member of the American Physical and Chemical Societies, and the Sigma Pi Sigma Honorary American Physics Society, which is a lifetime membership. He has many issued US patents and has authored and co-authored many journal and conference proceedings papers. 

AWARDS & HONORS

• 2022    Excellence in Academic Advising Award, College of Engineering and Physics, KFUPM (need 5 years to qualify for the award)
• 2022     In recognition of five US Patents in the year 2021 Award, May 2022, KFUPM.
• 2021      Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Engineering and Physics, KFUPM
• 2021      In recognition of two US Patents in the year 2020 Award, May 2021, KFUPM
• 2020   SPIE Community Champion, in recognition to service and contribution to the International Society of Photonics and Optics (SPIE).
• 2018      In recognition of four US Patents in the year 2018 Award, March 2019, KFUPM
• 2017      Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Science, April 2017 KFUPM
• 2013      KFUPM International Summer Scholarly Program (ISSP), Hosted by the University of    British Columbia, Vancouver Canada.
• 2011-2012   NSERC-Visiting Fellowship (2011-2012): Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Visiting Fellowship (Value 48,000$/yr).  (Nationwide competition), ON, Canada.
• 2007    ICPEAC 2007 Conference Travel Grant (2007): Freiburg, Germany (Value: 1,100 $)
• 2006  Chemical Physics Program at the Uni. of Tennessee Travel Award, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA (Value: 250$).
• 2005  Chemical Physics Program at the Uni. of Tennessee Travel Award, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA (Value: 500$).
• 2004  Chemical Physics Program at the Uni. of Tennessee Travel Award, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA (Value: 500$).
• 2003   Induction to Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society, in Recognition of high scholarship in Physics- the University of Tennessee Chapter. (Awarded in 2003)(Life time Membership)  
• 2002 – 2006   PhD Scholarship-NSF fund (Aug. 2002 – Jan. 2007): Physics Dept. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA (Value 42,000$/yr).
• 2002- 2005   The Hashemite University Foreign Study Fellowship: Zarka, Jordan
• 1995 – 1999  King Hussein-I of Jordan Undergraduate Fellowship (Makromah Malkeh Sameh)
  

KEY PUBLICATIONS

• S. M. Al Azar, A. Y. Al-Reyahi, A. A. Mousa, S. S. Essaoud, R. S. Masharfe, I. Ghabar, N. Al-Aqtash, M. E. Ketfi, M. S. Abu-Jafar, E. K. Jaradat, Watheq Al-Basheer, A. Mufleh. Investigation of structural, electronics, and optical characteristics of cubic SrZr_1−xRu_xO₃ perovskites: first-principles study. European Physical Journal Plus. 140, 6, 510, 2025.
  

• W. Al-Basheer, C. Viernes, R. Zheng, S. Netzke, K. Pichugin and G. Sciaini, “Out-of-Plane Longitudinal Sound Speed Determination in GaS by Broadband Time-Domain Brillouin Scattering”, ACS Omega, 9(48), 47475-47479, 2024.
  

• K. Gasmi, A. Aljalal, W. Al-Basheer, “ External cavity diode laser in Littrow configuration with narrowband emission at 448 nm for NO2 gas detection.”, Optical Engineering, 63, 9, 096102, 2024.
  

• W. Al-Basheer, C. Viernes, M. Cheng, R. Zheng, S. Netzke, K. Pichugin and G. Sciaini, “Determining the Out-of-Plane Longitudinal Sound Speed in GeS by Broadband Time-Domain Brillouin Scattering”, ACS Omega, 9(13), 15463-15467, 2024.
  

• W. Al-Basheer, T. O. Adigun, A. Aljalal, K. Gasmi, “High-resolution spectroscopic analysis of the external differential quantum efficiency of a multimode GaN-based blue laser diode”, Optik 316, 172068, 2024.
  

• W. Al-Basheer, “Structural analysis of (R)-3-methylcyclohexanone conformers”, Structural Chemistry, 33, 949-960, 2022.
  

• W. Al-Basheer, “Solvent effects on the vibrational modes of (R)-3-methylcyclohexanone conformers”, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 359, 119317, pp. 1-9, 2022.
  

• Y. Darojat, A. Aljalal, K. Gasmi, I. Aljundi, N. Mirsaleh-Kohan, W. Al-Basheer, “Laser-induced shockwave crystallization in supersaturated solutions and conceivable clustering in undersaturated aqueous potassium nitrate solutions”, ACS Omega 43, 38400-38408, 2022.