Abstract

The most powerful and direct way to study liquid state dynamics uses femtosecond time-resolved four wave mixing (4WM). In particular the femtosecond impulsive photon echo is a superior molecular dynamics probe. Additional information can be obtained when chirped excitation pulses are employed [1]. The scattered 4WM-signals then depend strongly on the presence or absence of significant slow fluctuations in the liquid state. It will be shown that chirped and impulsive excitation give the same transients only for strongly inhomogeneously broadened systems.

© 1992 The Author(s)