Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Laser-induced chemistry

Nature volume 305, pages 103–108 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

Some 20 years ago the invention of lasers led to suggestions that the high-intensity monochromatic light that they produce might be used to bring about a new class of chemical interaction. Over the past 10 years this new chemistry has come of age.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schawlow, A. L. Bell Lab. Rec., November, 403 (1960); Scient. Am. 204, 52 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Zewail, A. (ed.) Advances in Laser Chemistry (Springer, Berlin, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ben-Shaul, A., Haas, Y., Kompa, K. L. & Levine, R. D. Lasers and Chemical Charge (Springer, Berlin, 1981).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Cantrell, C. D., Freund, S. M. & Lyman, J. L. in Laser Handbook Vol. 3 (ed. Stitch, M. L.) 485 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Letokhov, V. S. Nonlinear Laser Chemistry (Springer, Berlin, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Letokhov, V. S. & Moore, C. B. in Chemical and Biochemical Applications of Lasers Vol. 3 (ed. Moore, C. B.) 1 (Academic, New York, 1977).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Letokhov, V. S. Nature 277, 605 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Calvert, J. G. & Pitts, J. N. Jr Photochemistry (Wiley, New York, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hall, R. T. & Pimental, G. C. J. chem. Phys. 38, 1889 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ambartzumian, R. V. & Letokhov, V. S. Appl. Opt. 11, 354 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Letokhov, V. S. Science 180, 451 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Merchant, V., Isenor, N. R., Hallsworth, R. S. & Richardson, M. C. Can. J. Phys. 51, 1281 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ambartzumian, R. V., Chekalin, N. V., Doljikov, V. S., Letokhov, V. S. & Ryabov, E. A. Chem. phys. Lett. 25, 515 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ambartzumian, R. V. & Letokhov, V. S. in Chemical and Biochemical Applications of Lasers Vol. 3 (ed. Moore, C. B.) 166 (Academic, New York, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ambartzumian, R. V., Letokhov, V. S., Ryabov, E. A. & Chekalin, N. V. Pis'ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. (Russian) 20, 597 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Brooks, P. R. & Hayes, E. F. Jr (eds). Am. chem. Soc. Symp. Ser. No. 56 (1977).

  17. Zare, R. N. & Bernstein, R. B. Phys. Today 33, 43 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Solarz, R. W., Johnson, S. A. & Preston, R. H. Chem. phys. Lett. 57, 514 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Baranovski, A. P. et al. Optical Sciences Vol. 3 (eds Mooradian, A., Jaeger, T. & Stokseth, P.) 108 (Springer, Berlin, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Stuke, M. & Schäfer, F. P. Chem. Phys. Lett. 48, 271 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Stuke, M. & Marinero, E. E. Chem. Phys. Lett. 68, 28 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lau, A. M. F. Phys. Rev. A 13, 139 (1976); A 19, 1117 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hering, P., Brooks, P. R., Curl, R. F. Jr, Judson, S. & Lowe, R. S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 44, 687 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ehrlich, D. J., Osgood, R. M. Jr & Deutsch, T. F. IEEE J. Quant. Electr. QE-16, 1233 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rhodes, Ch. K. (ed.) Topics in Applied Physics Vol. 30 (Springer, Berlin, 1979).

  26. Malatesta, V., Willis, C. & Hackett, J. J. Am. chem. Soc. 103, 6781 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Wolfrum, J., Kneba, M., Clough, P. & Schneider, M. FRG Patents 29 38 353.7 & 30 08 848.3.

  28. Kneba, M. & Wolfrum, J. J. phys. Chem. 83, 69 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kneba, M. & Wolfrum, J. Am. Rev. phys. Chem. 31, 47 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Zewail, A. H. Phys. Today 33, 27 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Reddy, K. V. & Berry, M. J. Chem. Phys. Lett. 66, 223 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Bloembergen, N. & Yablonovitch, E. Phys. Today 83 (1978).

  33. Lee, Y. T. & Shen, Y. R. Phys. Today 52 (1980).

  34. Letokhov, V. S. & Makarov, A. A. Usp. Fiz. Nauk (Russian) 134, 45 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Robinson, P. J. & Holbrook, K. A. Unimolecular Reactions (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Bagratashvili, V. N. et al. Zh. eksp. teor. Fiz. 77, 2238 (1979); Soviet Phys. JETP 56, 1075 (1979).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bagratashvili, V. N. et al. Zh. eksp. teor. Fiz. 80, 1008 1981; Soviet Phys. JETP 53, 512 (1981); Opt. Lett. 6, 148 (1981).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Danen, W. C., Koster, D. F. & Zitter, R. N. J. Am. chem. Soc. 101, 15 4281 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Morrison, R. J. S., Loring, R. F., Farley, R. L. & Grant, E. R. J. chem. Phys. 75, 148 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Rossi, M., Barker, J. R. & Golden, D. M. J. chem. Phys. 76, 406 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Danen, W. C., Rio, V. C. & Setser, D. W. J. Am. chem. Soc. 104, 5431 (1982); 5440 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Zhang, F., Francisco, J. S. & Steinfeld, J. I. J. chem. Phys. 86, 2402 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Stuke, M., Sumida, D. & Wittig, C. J. chem. Phys. 86, 438 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Jasinski, J. M., Rosenfeld, R. N., Meyer, F. K. & Brauman, J. I. J. Am. chem. Soc. 104, 652 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Schulz, P. A. et al. A. Rev. phys. Chem. 30, 379 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Bagratashvili, V. N. et al. Pis'ma Zh. eksp. teor. Fiz. (Russian) 35, 155 (1982).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Bagratashvili, V. N., Kuzmin, M. V., Letokhov, V. S. & Shibanov, A. N. Pis'ma Zh. eksp. teor. Fiz. (Russian) 37, 92 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Marcus, R. A. in Picosecond Phenomena III (eds Eizenthal, K. B., Hochstrasser, R. M., Kaiser, W. & Laubereau, A.) (Springer, Berlin, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Clark, J. H., Leary, K. M., Loree, T. R. & Harding, L. B. in Advances in Laser Chemistry (ed. Zewal, A.) 74 (Springer, Berlin, 1978).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  50. Bagratashvili, V. N., Burimov, V. N., Kuzmin, M. V., Letokhov, V. S. & Sviridov, A. P. Laser Chem. 1(3), 133 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Bagratashvili, V. N., Kuzmin, M. V. & Letokhov, V. S. Laser Chem. 1(6) (in the press).

  52. Letokhov, V. S. in Tunable Lasers and Applications (eds Mooradian, A., Jaeger, T. & Stokseth, P.) 122 (Springer, Berlin, 1976).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  53. Antonov, V. S. & Letokhov, V. S. Appl. Phys. 24, 89 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Gedanken, A., Robin, M. B. & Kneubler, N. A. J. phys. Chem. 86, 4096 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Lichtin, D. A., Zandee, L., Bernstein, R. B. in Lasers and Chemical Analysis (eds Hieftje, G. M., Lytle, F. E. & Travis, J. C.) 1 (Humana, Clifton, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  56. Lewis, G. & Kasha, M. J. Am. chem. Soc. 66, 2100 (1944).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Kryukov, P. G. et al. Chem. phys. Lett. 61, 375 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Angelov, D. A., Kryukov, P. G., Letokhov, V. S., Nikigosyan, D. N. & Oraevsky, A. A. Kvant. Elektron. (Russian) 8, 595 (1981).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Karu, T. I., Letokhov, V. S., Kryukov, P. G., Matveetz, Yu. A. & Semchishen, V. A. Appl. Phys. 24, 245 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Yokoyamu, K., Nakamura, J., Koboyashi, T. & Nagakura, S. Bull. chem. Soc. Jap. 53, 3474 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Andreoni, A., Cubeddu, R., De Silvestri, S., Laporta, P. & Svelto, O. Chem. phys. Lett. 88, 37 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Bagdasarian, Kh. S. Two-Photon Photochemistry (Russian) (Science, Moscow, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  63. Letokhov, V. S., Matveetz, Yu. A., Semchishen, V. A. & Khoroshilova, E. V. Appl. Phys. B 26, 243 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Brackmann, U. & Schäfer, F. P. Chem. phys. Lett. 87, 579 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Kuzmina, N. P., Khoroshilova, E. V., Letokhov, V. S. & Matveetz, Yu. A. Appl. Phys. B31, 195 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Pitts, J. N. et al. J. Am. chem. Soc. 81, 1068 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Spectroscopy, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Podolskii rayon, Troitzk, 142092, USSR

    V. S. Letokhov

Authors
  1. V. S. Letokhov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Letokhov, V. Laser-induced chemistry. Nature 305, 103–108 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/305103a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/305103a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing