Thiol: Thiols are compounds having the structure RSH (where R ≠ H).
Top-down synthesis: In this approach, structures are synthesized starting from a bulk substrate and chiseled down until only a field of
desired assemblies remains.
Total intermolecular potential: A function that represents all of the
interactions between a set of molecules, summed over electrostatic, dispersion, and overlap repulsion terms.
Transducer: A device that converts one type of energy to another.
Transition dipole: A short-lived dipole formed by the movement of
electron density during an absorption or emission process. Most
absorption or emission processes must have a nonzero transition
dipole to occur.
Transition states: Transition states are local maxima in the energy of a
system during the course of a reaction. While existing for a negligible amount of time, a system must have enough energy to
reach a transition state for a reaction to occur.
Transmittance: The ratio of the intensity of a light beam after passing
through a sample to the original intensity of the light beam.
Valence band: In band theory, the highest energy-filled band, analogous
to the HOMO in a molecular system.
van der Waals interactions: Attractive or repulsive noncovalent interactions between molecules involving charges, permanent or
induced dipoles, or higher multipoles.
Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry: An advanced ellipsometry
technique that uses measurements at many wavelengths and
angles to determine the thickness and wavelength-dependent
complex refractive index for multilayer films.
Vibrational modes: Oscillations of atoms in a molecule or material in
response to being promoted to an excited vibrational state, typically with energies corresponding to infrared light. Vibrational
modes have characteristic energies corresponding with different
types of bonds (e.g., C-H) stretch, and may range from simple
motions of two atoms to complex motions of many atoms in a
molecule or material.
Glossary
457
Top-down synthesis: In this approach, structures are synthesized starting from a bulk substrate and chiseled down until only a field of
desired assemblies remains.
Total intermolecular potential: A function that represents all of the
interactions between a set of molecules, summed over electrostatic, dispersion, and overlap repulsion terms.
Transducer: A device that converts one type of energy to another.
Transition dipole: A short-lived dipole formed by the movement of
electron density during an absorption or emission process. Most
absorption or emission processes must have a nonzero transition
dipole to occur.
Transition states: Transition states are local maxima in the energy of a
system during the course of a reaction. While existing for a negligible amount of time, a system must have enough energy to
reach a transition state for a reaction to occur.
Transmittance: The ratio of the intensity of a light beam after passing
through a sample to the original intensity of the light beam.
Valence band: In band theory, the highest energy-filled band, analogous
to the HOMO in a molecular system.
van der Waals interactions: Attractive or repulsive noncovalent interactions between molecules involving charges, permanent or
induced dipoles, or higher multipoles.
Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry: An advanced ellipsometry
technique that uses measurements at many wavelengths and
angles to determine the thickness and wavelength-dependent
complex refractive index for multilayer films.
Vibrational modes: Oscillations of atoms in a molecule or material in
response to being promoted to an excited vibrational state, typically with energies corresponding to infrared light. Vibrational
modes have characteristic energies corresponding with different
types of bonds (e.g., C-H) stretch, and may range from simple
motions of two atoms to complex motions of many atoms in a
molecule or material.
Glossary
457