CHEM 7910 - Advanced Spectroscopy

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Strongly recommended prerequisite: two semesters of calculus and one year of physical chemistry or equivalent. Enrollment limited to: graduate students studying Chemistry, Physics, Applied and Engineering Physics, and Engineering (Chemical, Electrical, Materials Science, and Mechanical), and advanced undergraduate students. Prior exposure to quantum mechanics is essential. Theoretical content offered at the level of Molecules and Radiation by Steinfeld.

A. Musser.

The chief aim of this course is to provide an understanding of how the tools of modern spectroscopy can be applied to unravel the structural and dynamical properties of molecular systems, with a focus on optical techniques. The course will briefly cover the theoretical basis of light-matter interactions and factors governing the vibrational and electronic spectra of diatomic and polyatomic molecules. The main portion of the course will address current topics in spectroscopic research with a survey of different techniques and the theory behind them. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to understand and interpret the results of a wide array of steady-state and optical spectroscopic techniques applied to complex molecules.