Modern Optical Spectroscopy: With Examples from Biophysics and Biochemistry

William W. Parson354037535X, 9783540375357, 9783540375425

Modern Optical Spectroscopy gives clear explanations of the theory of optical spectroscopic phenomena and shows how these ideas are used in modern molecular and cellular biophysics and biochemistry. The topics covered include electronic and vibrational absorption, fluorescence, resonance energy transfer, exciton interactions, circular dichroism, coherence and dephasing, ultrafast pump-probe and photon-echo spectroscopy, single-molecule and fluorescence-correlation spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and multiphoton absorption.

The explanations are based on time-dependent quantum mechanics and are sufficiently thorough and detailed to be useful for people working in the field. Because it starts from first principles, the text also will be accessible to readers with little prior training in quantum mechanics. Extra details and sidelights are set off in boxes. Numerous figures illustrate the theoretical expressions or explain experimental techniques.