viii
Preface
and charged-particle (ion or photoelectron) imaging detection with resonant or nonresonant fragment ionization is the subject covered by the following three Chapters,
written by Rebeca de Nalda and Luis Bañares and their co-workers (Chap. 4), Helen
Fielding and co-workers (Chap. 5) and Vasilios Stavros and co-workers (Chap. 6),
where key applications to the photodynamics of polyatomic molecular systems are
presented. Also theoretical support is crucial when studying such larger molecular
systems, but in such cases accurate quantum mechanical treatments are intractable.
In the Chapter written by Leticia González and Ignacio Solá and their co-workers
(Chap. 7) an approach based on semiclassical methods to study the photodynamics
of polyatomic molecular systems is presented. The extension to really large molecular systems is dealt with in the Chapter by Marcos Dantus and co-workers (Chap. 8),
which is centered on femtosecond laser induced dissociation for proteomic analysis.
Another aspect of photodynamics of excited states of biomolecules is the aim of the
Chapter written by Marcus Motzkus and co-workers (Chap. 9). In this case, multidimensional time-resolved spectroscopy based on the non-linear broadband four-wave
mixing technique using sub-20 femtosecond pulses is applied to address coherence
and population dynamics in molecular excited states. Reaction dynamics in the gassolid interface is treated in the Chapter written by Mihai Vaida and Thorsten Bernhardt (Chap. 10). In particular, the Chapter focuses on the dynamics of chemical
reaction on metal oxide surfaces by using ultrashort laser pulses with a perspective
to applications to photocatalytic reactions at supported metal clusters and nanoparticles. Finally, the Chapter written by Olivier Faucher and his co-workers (Chap. 11)
centers on the use of non-linear coherent interactions of molecules with ultrashort
laser pulses to deduce the properties of gas-phase molecules and to obtain information on the environment of molecules.
We thank all the authors for their valuable efforts to provide both a meaningful
background and detailed descriptions of the research lines, and we hope that the
material covered in this book provides an updated and insightful window into the
broad range of areas where this field is evolving.
Rebeca de Nalda
Luis Bañares
Madrid, Spain
Preface
and charged-particle (ion or photoelectron) imaging detection with resonant or nonresonant fragment ionization is the subject covered by the following three Chapters,
written by Rebeca de Nalda and Luis Bañares and their co-workers (Chap. 4), Helen
Fielding and co-workers (Chap. 5) and Vasilios Stavros and co-workers (Chap. 6),
where key applications to the photodynamics of polyatomic molecular systems are
presented. Also theoretical support is crucial when studying such larger molecular
systems, but in such cases accurate quantum mechanical treatments are intractable.
In the Chapter written by Leticia González and Ignacio Solá and their co-workers
(Chap. 7) an approach based on semiclassical methods to study the photodynamics
of polyatomic molecular systems is presented. The extension to really large molecular systems is dealt with in the Chapter by Marcos Dantus and co-workers (Chap. 8),
which is centered on femtosecond laser induced dissociation for proteomic analysis.
Another aspect of photodynamics of excited states of biomolecules is the aim of the
Chapter written by Marcus Motzkus and co-workers (Chap. 9). In this case, multidimensional time-resolved spectroscopy based on the non-linear broadband four-wave
mixing technique using sub-20 femtosecond pulses is applied to address coherence
and population dynamics in molecular excited states. Reaction dynamics in the gassolid interface is treated in the Chapter written by Mihai Vaida and Thorsten Bernhardt (Chap. 10). In particular, the Chapter focuses on the dynamics of chemical
reaction on metal oxide surfaces by using ultrashort laser pulses with a perspective
to applications to photocatalytic reactions at supported metal clusters and nanoparticles. Finally, the Chapter written by Olivier Faucher and his co-workers (Chap. 11)
centers on the use of non-linear coherent interactions of molecules with ultrashort
laser pulses to deduce the properties of gas-phase molecules and to obtain information on the environment of molecules.
We thank all the authors for their valuable efforts to provide both a meaningful
background and detailed descriptions of the research lines, and we hope that the
material covered in this book provides an updated and insightful window into the
broad range of areas where this field is evolving.
Rebeca de Nalda
Luis Bañares
Madrid, Spain