Laser Experiments for Chemistry and Physics
Robert N. Compton and Michael A. Duncan
Abstract
Lasers are employed throughout science and technology, in fundamental research, the remote sensing of atmospheric gases or pollutants, communications, medical diagnostics and therapies, and the manufacturing of microelectronic devices. Understanding the principles of their operation, which underlie all of these areas, is essential for a modern scientific education. This text introduces the characteristics and operation of lasers through laboratory experiments designed for the undergraduate curricula in chemistry and physics. Introductory chapters describe the properties of light, the history o ... More
Lasers are employed throughout science and technology, in fundamental research, the remote sensing of atmospheric gases or pollutants, communications, medical diagnostics and therapies, and the manufacturing of microelectronic devices. Understanding the principles of their operation, which underlie all of these areas, is essential for a modern scientific education. This text introduces the characteristics and operation of lasers through laboratory experiments designed for the undergraduate curricula in chemistry and physics. Introductory chapters describe the properties of light, the history of laser invention, the atomic, molecular, and optical principles behind how lasers work, and the kinds of lasers available today. Other chapters include the basic theory of spectroscopy and computational chemistry used to interpret laser experiments. Experiments range from simple in-class demonstrations to more elaborate configurations for advanced students. Each chapter has historical and theoretical background, as well as options suggested for variations on the prescribed experiments.
Keywords:
undergraduate laboratory experiments,
laser spectroscopy,
optics,
mass spectrometry,
refractive index,
laser absorption spectroscopy,
fluorescence,
multiphoton processes
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2015 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780198742975 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: December 2015 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198742975.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Robert N. Compton, author
Professor of Chemistry and Physics, Dept Chemistry, University of Tennessee
Michael A. Duncan, author
Franklin Professor and Regents' Professor, Dept of Chemistry, University of Georgia
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