In continuation of their efforts on laser spectroscopy probing of excitation and coherence processes, they propose to use this renewal grant to undertake research in the following areas: (a) ultrashort time dynamics of electron and excitation transfer in model systems in condensed media; (b) selective-pulse excitation for the invesitgation of coherence and relaxation processes; and (c) laser spectroscopy studies of microscopic solvation and clustering. The techniques that they shall use in this research (which are already used in their laboratory) are picosecond and femtosecond spectroscopy, multiple pulse optical excitation methods, and multiphoton (TOF and PES) detection methods. Their objectives are to apply (and modify) these techniques to learn about the dynamics of energy relaxation, solvation, and coherence in condensed media, and to examine the picosecond and femtosecond dynamics of molecules undergoing (microscopic) solvation and clustering formation.
