At the end of the course the student will:

1.    Understand the quantum mechanical foundations of spectroscopic techniques

2.    Understand atomic structure and atomic spectra and selection rules

3.    Understand electronic spectroscopy and its applications to nanomaterials research

4.    Understand vibrational spectroscopy and its applications to nanomaterials research

5.    Know the general features of spectroscopic techniques

6.    Be able to choose the best suited spectroscopic technique to solve a particular problem in Nanomaterials Science.

The course will provide a fundamental understanding of various spectroscopic techniques, while enabling the student to choose the best suited ones to elucidate a particular problem in Nanomaterials Science and to interpret the acquired data. More specifically, the following topics will be addressed:

1.    Quantum Mechanics and interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.

2.    Atomic structure and atomic spectra, term symbols, selection rules

3.    Symmetry and group theory

4.    Electronic spectroscopy (UV-Vis-NIR, X-rays)

5.    Photoelectron and related spectroscopies

6.    Vibrational Spectroscopy (IR absorption and Raman scattering, SERS, TERS), rotational spectroscopy

7.    Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy

8.    Mössbauer spectroscopy

9.    Experimental spectroscopic techniques

10. Advanced data analysis in spectroscopy