This book will fulfill the needs of time-domain spectroscopists who wish to deepen their understanding of both the theoretical and experimental features of this cutting-edge spectroscopy technique. Coherent Multidimensional Spectroscopy (CMDS) is a state-of-the-art technique with applications in a variety of subjects like chemistry, molecular physics, biochemistry, biophysics, and material science. Due to dramatic advancements of ultrafast laser technologies, diverse multidimensional spectroscopic methods utilizing combinations of THz, IR, visible, UV, and X-ray radiation sources have been developed and used to study real time dynamics of small molecules in solutions, proteins and nucleic acids in condensed phases and membranes, single and multiple excitons in functional materials like semiconductors, quantum dots, and solar cells, photo-excited states in light-harvesting complexes, ions in battery electrolytes, electronic and conformational changes in charge or proton transfer systems, and excess electrons and protons in water and biological systems.

Electronic carrier dynamics are integral in the design of functional metal transducers. Moreover, the optical properties and dynamics of colloidal metals depend sensitively their structures. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of how structural factors like size, geometry, and composition influence electronic relaxation processes allows for the development of predictive models for judicious selection of nanoscale metals for photonic applications. This dissertation focused on the usage of time-resolved nonlinear spectroscopy techniques, specifically femtosecond transient absorption and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) to probe electronic relaxation dynamics in colloidal metals, including: monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs), plasmonic gold nanorods, metal hybrid nanostructures, and 2-D semiconductors. The ultrafast relaxation mechanisms in all of these systems were understood in relation to structure-specific and state-resolved dynamics. 2DES results resolved excited-state symmetry-dependent relaxation dynamics in 38-atom gold nanoclusters that were influenced by specific metal kernel and inorganic semiring structures. It is shown that Fermi liquid dynamics can be resolved in plasmonic metal ensembles. It is also shown that synthetic modification to size and composition of a single domain in composite metal nanostructures can be used to overcome bulk-like contributions that govern phonon-mediated thermalization. In addition, phonon-mediated renormalization rates across different materials thicknesses (i.e. number layers) in 2-D semiconductors is described. All of these results indicate that specific nanostructures (size, composition, thickness, and geometry) play integral roles in governing ultrafast relaxation dynamics in complex nanoscale metal colloids, which in turn can be leveraged to develop predictive models for optimal design of functional metal transducers.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

Quantum mechanics provides the most accurate microscopic description of the world around us, yet the interface between quantum mechanics and biology is only now being explored. This book uses a combination of experiment and theory to examine areas of biology believed to be strongly influenced by manifestly quantum phenomena. Covering subjects ranging from coherent energy transfer in photosynthetic light harvesting to spin coherence in the avian compass and the problem of molecular recognition in olfaction, the book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, biology and chemistry seeking to understand the applications of quantum mechanics to biology.

Two-Dimensional Optical Spectroscopy discusses the principles and applications of newly emerging two-dimensional vibrational and optical spectroscopy techniques. It provides a detailed account of basic theory required for an understanding of two-dimensional vibrational and electronic spectroscopy. It also bridges the gap between the formal developm