Advances In Laser Spectroscopy

This volume presents the Proceedings of "New Development in Optics and Related Fields," held in Italy in June, 2005. This meeting was organized by the International School of Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy of the "Ettore Majorana" Center for Scientific Culture. The purpose of this Institute was to provide a comprehensive and coherent treatment of the new techniques and contemporary developments in optics and related fields.

This volume contains the lectures and seminars presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on IIAdvances in Laser Spectroscopyll the tenth course of the Europhysics School of Quantum Electronics, held under the supervision of the Quantum Electronics Division of the European Physical Society. The Institute was held at Centro "I Cappuccinill San Miniato, Tuscany, July 26, - August 7, 1981. The Europhysics School of Quantum Electronics was started in 1970 with the aim of providing instruction for young researchers and advanced students already engaged in the area of quantum elec­ tronics or wishing to switch to this area from a different back­ ground. From the onset, the School has been under the direction of Prof. F. T. Arecchi, then at the University of Pavia, now at the University of Florence, .and Dr. D. Roess of Siemens, Munich. In 1981, Prof. H. Walther, University of Munich and Max-Planck­ Institut fUr Quantenoptik joined as director. Each year the Directors choose a subject of particular interest, alternating fundamental topics with technological ones, and ask colleagues specifically competent in a given area to take the scientific responsibility for that course.

Laser spectroscopy is a valuable tool for sensing and chemical analysis. Developments in lasers, detectors and mathematical analytical tools have led to improvements in the sensitivity and selectivity of spectroscopic techniques and extended their fields of application. Laser Spectroscopy for Sensing examines these advances and how laser spectroscopy can be used in a diverse range of industrial, medical, and environmental applications. Part one reviews basic concepts of atomic and molecular processes and presents the fundamentals of laser technology for controlling the spectral and temporal aspects of laser excitation. In addition, it explains the selectivity, sensitivity, and stability of the measurements, the construction of databases, and the automation of data analysis by machine learning. Part two explores laser spectroscopy techniques, including cavity-based absorption spectroscopy and the use of photo-acoustic spectroscopy to acquire absorption spectra of gases and condensed media. These chapters discuss imaging methods using laser-induced fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopies before focusing on light detection and ranging, photothermal spectroscopy and terahertz spectroscopy. Part three covers a variety of applications of these techniques, particularly the detection of chemical, biological, and explosive threats, as well as their use in medicine and forensic science. Finally, the book examines spectroscopic analysis of industrial materials and their applications in nuclear research and industry. The text provides readers with a broad overview of the techniques and applications of laser spectroscopy for sensing. It is of great interest to laser scientists and engineers, as well as professionals using lasers for medical applications, environmental applications, military applications, and material processing. Presents the fundamentals of laser technology for controlling the spectral and temporal aspects of laser excitation Explores laser spectroscopy techniques, including cavity-based absorption spectroscopy and the use of photo-acoustic spectroscopy to acquire absorption spectra of gases and condensed media Considers spectroscopic analysis of industrial materials and their applications in nuclear research and industry

Molecular and Laser Spectroscopy, Advances and Applications: Volume 3 gives students and researchers an up-to-date understanding of the fast-developing area of molecular and laser spectroscopy. This book covers basic principles and advances in several conventional as well as new and upcoming areas of molecular and laser spectroscopy. This third volume is an extension of the two previous volumes of the same title and includes all-new topics. Each chapter is devoted to a particular fast-growing area of research and fills the gap between elementary texts and advanced material found in research articles. Some of the topics covered include: terahertz spectroscopy and its applications in health care· linear and non-linear vibrational optical activity spectroscopy; cascade laser IR-spectroscopy and frequency comb techniques; step-scan infrared spectroscopy (absorption and emission) for detecting reaction intermediates· surface-enhanced (SERS) and tip-enhanced (TERS) Raman scattering; infrared and Raman micro-spectroscopy; time-resolved linear and non-linear infrared spectroscopy using pico-second and femtosecond lasers. The spectroscopic techniques have been applied to medical sciences, forensics, security, material science, agriculture, food, chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries and used to study molecular vibrational dynamics, and hydrogen bonding in ground and excited states. This book serves as a valuable resource for students, teachers, and beginning researchers engaged in the area of molecular and laser spectroscopy. On account of the wide range of applications, researchers and scientific personnel in many industries will find this book useful for learning about the latest techniques and putting them to practical use. Written by eminent research scientists having an intricate knowledge of the latest activities in the field Includes exhaustive lists of research articles, reviews, and books at the end of each chapter to aid in further pursuit of research activity Uses illustrative examples of the varied applications to provide a practical guide to those interested in using molecular and laser spectroscopy tools in their research Each chapter is written in simple, clear language and develops its topic systematically, from basics to the latest developments and future projections

In the new edition the editors have preserved the basic concept and structure, with the involvement of some new authors - all recognized experts in laser spectroscopy. Each chapter addresses a different technique, providing a review and analysis of the current status, and reporting some of the latest achievements. With the key formulas and methods detailed in many sections, this text represents a practicable handbook of its subject. It will be a valuable tool both for specialists to keep abreast of developments and for newcomers to the field needing an accessible introduction to specific methods of laser spectroscopy - and also as a resource for primary references.

The embryonic development of femtoscience stems from advances made in the generation of ultrashort laser pulses. Beginning with mode-locking of glass lasers in the 1960s, the development of dye lasers brought the pulse width down from picoseconds to femtoseconds. The breakthrough in solid state laser pulse generation provided the current reliable table-top laser systems capable of average power of about 1 watt, and peak power density of easily watts per square centimeter, with pulse widths in the range of four to eight femtoseconds. Pulses with peak power density reaching watts per square centimeter have been achieved in laboratory settings and, more recently, pulses of sub-femtosecond duration have been successfully generated. As concepts and methodologies have evolved over the past two decades, the realm of ultrafast science has become vast and exciting and has impacted many areas of chemistry, biology and physics, and other fields such as materials science, electrical engineering, and optical communication. In molecular science the explosive growth of this research is for fundamental reasons. In femtochemistry and femtobiology chemical bonds form and break on the femtosecond time scale, and on this scale of time we can freeze the transition states at configurations never before seen. Even for n- reactive physical changes one is observing the most elementary of molecular processes. On a time scale shorter than the vibrational and rotational periods the ensemble behaves coherently as a single-molecule trajectory.