Time resolved photoacoustic spectroscopy applied to properties of picosecond transients

Abstract

Time resolved photoacoustic spectroscopy represents a promising new approach to the study of time resolved absorption with picosecond time resolution. The sensitivity of photoacoustic detection permits investigation of dilute and fluorescent samples which are difficult to study by conventional flash photolysis. Theory shows that quantitative measurements of important transient properties and new insights into photochemical and photophysical dynamics can be obtained by measuring heat deposition as a function of probe fluence. Experimental determinations of absorption and stimulated emission cross sections, and lower limits for rates of nonradiative relaxation of highly excited states, are presented.