Recently, optical second‐harmonic generation (SHG) has been shown to be a sensitive and versatile probe of adsorbate coverage, composition, binding site, and molecular orientation on surfaces. In addition SHG has been shown to reveal the symmetry of atomic order on surfaces. It is thus able to monitor symmetry‐changing surface phase transitions. Because of the great sensitivity and the time‐resolution obtainable with pump‐probe techniques, SHG is a unique tool for monitoring surface dynamics. Results from SHG measurements with time resolutions of 100 msec and 100 fsec are presented.

Topics
Phase transitions, Pump probe experiments, Second harmonic generation, Adsorption, Surface dynamics
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© 1987 American Institute of Physics.
1987
American Institute of Physics
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