The book, as stated above, is the result of the contribution of different scientists mainly working in the field of physics, chemistry, surface science, and nanoscience. Their different points of view assure a multidisciplinary approach to the techniques and, as a consequence, appeal to a broad readership of researchers and students dedicated to the studies on materials.
The Editor Simonpietro Agnello
List of Contributors
Simonpietro Agnello Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Raffaele Giuseppe Agostino Dipartimento di Fisica Università della Calabria Rende CS Italy
Antonino Alessi Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend AnalysisAppelsgarten 2 Euskirchen Germany Laboratoire des Solides IrradiésCEA/DRF/IRAMIS,CNRS, Ecole polytechnique Institut Polytechnique de Paris Palaiseau France
Gianpiero Buscarino Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Marco Cannas Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Pellegrino Conte Department of Agriculture,Food and Forestry Sciences University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Vincenzo De Michele Laboratoire Hubert Curien Université Jean Monnet Saint‐Etienne France
Giuliana Faggio Department of Information Engineering Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Italy
Tiziana Fiore Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Vincenzo Formoso Dipartimento di Fisica Università della Calabria Rende CS Italy
Franco Gelardi Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Francesco Giannici Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Sylvain Girard Laboratoire Hubert Curien Université Jean Monnet Saint‐Etienne France
Rossella Grillo Department of Information Engineering Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Italy
Alessandro Longo The European Synchrotron Grenoble France ISMN‐CNR Palermo Italy
Fabrizio Messina Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Giacomo Messina Department of Information Engineering Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Italy
Adriana Morana Laboratoire Hubert Curien Université Jean Monnet Saint‐Etienne France
Federico Moretti Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
Claudia Pellerito Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Christoph J. Sahle The European Synchrotron Grenoble France
Giuseppe Sancataldo Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Alice Sciortino Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Michelangelo Scopelliti Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Alberto Spinella Advanced Technologies Network Center (ATeN Center) University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Lavinia Vaccaro Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Valeria Vetri Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè University of Palermo Palermo Italy
Anatoly F. Zatsepin Russian Academy of SciencesUral DivisionYekaterinburgRussia Institute of Physics and TechnologyUral Federal UniversityYekaterinburgRussia
Dmitry A. Zatsepin Russian Academy of SciencesUral DivisionYekaterinburgRussia Institute of Physics and TechnologyUral Federal UniversityYekaterinburgRussia
1 Radiation–Matter Interaction Principles: Optical Absorption and Emission in the Visible‐Ultraviolet Region
Simonpietro Agnello
Department of Physics and Chemistry – Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
1.1 Empirical Aspects of Radiation–Matter Interaction
The basic everyday experience of the colors around us inspires the knowledge of the phenomenon of radiation–matter interaction. Sun, the source of daylight, emits a large quantity of electromagnetic field frequencies (ν), or wavelengths (λ). When these rays impinge on matter, they can be reflected (scattered) or absorbed by the constituent atoms and molecules. These phenomena give rise to the appearance of colored objects since the light arriving at our eyes (a light sensor) depends on the emitted radiation or the reflected one, having fewer frequencies than the original sunlight due to the absorption effect of matter around us. In this chapter, some empirical aspects of absorption and emission phenomena will be introduced.
1.1.1 Optical Absorption: The Lambert–Beer Law
An introductory experiment that highlights the effect of absorption of light is represented in Figure