Dr. Thompson's research interests lie in the area of experimental atomic, molecular, and optical physics, specifically the physics of low-density gases where direct observation of the isolated atom response of the system is possible. His Atomic, Molecular, and Laser Physics laboratory at the U of C uses pulsed and/or cw laser systems to study atomic and molecular species in gas jets and ion traps.

A principle current project ongoing in Dr. Thompson's Group is focused on sympathetic laser cooling of trapped ions. Due to complexities in their internal quantum structure, many atomic ions and molecular ions in general cannot be directly laser cooled. However, ion traps are capable of storing a range of different charged particles simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to trap a mixture of laser-cooled atomic ions and sample ions in the same volume. Since all particles are charged, they are strongly coupled to each other, and thus reducing the temperature of the laser-cooled ions will eventually reduce the temperature of the sample ions. The group is currently involved in both experimental and theoretical/computational studies of processes associated with sympathetic cooling.

Other areas of interest include ion-molecule interactions, ionic metallofullerenes, coherence effects in optical processes, ion-trap mass spectrometry, laser and kinetic spectroscopy of short-lived species and small molecules, and collaborative work with members of the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine studying the interaction of photons with biological tissue.

Dr. Thompson is also a member of the TITAN Collaboration, which is building an ion trapping system for high resolution mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy of stable and unstable isotopic species in the ISAC facility at the TRIUMF National Laboratory in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.