Nonlinear optical spectroscopy for surfaces, interfaces, and films

Summary form only given. Structural symmetries of the surface and bulk of a condensed medium generally are different. They can be exploited to develop optical techniques for surface and interfacial studies. Sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, in particular, has been proven to be an effective and versatile surface analytical tool. It can be used to study any interfaces accessible by light, including liquid/liquid, liquid/solid, and solid/solid interfaces. Quite a few unique applications have been found that could open up new areas of research in various disciplines. A selected few will be described in this talk. The possibility of using SFG spectroscopy for thin-film studies will also be discussed.