Laser-based instruments for optical spectroscopy provide new and exciting experiences for students in undergraduate physical chemistry and analytical chemistry courses. This project incorporates miniature pulsed Nd:YAG and tunable dye lasers into several experiments designed to illustrate key features of molecular structure and dynamics. Students are using lasers to record spectra with much higher resolution than is offered by traditional spectroscopic instruments. Fine structure observed in laser-based spectra reveal couplings between molecular motions that students often struggle to visualize. Time-resolved laser-induced-fluorescence studies illustrate the competition between radiative and nonradiative relaxation mechanisms. Multiphoton excitation and resonance-ionization spectroscopy using short pulses can introduce fast electro-optic technology into physical and analytical chemistry courses. Laser Raman spectroscopy complements existing nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatograph/mass spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared capabilities for chemical identification in synthesis courses. Students engaged in undergraduate research gain hands-on experience with individual hardware components in modular instrument configurations. The presence of modern spectroscopy in the undergraduate curriculum strongly enhances student preparation for advanced-degree programs in chemistry, medicine, and engineering.
