Optical Phenomena and Spectroscopy

Optical Phenomena and Spectroscopy Interaction Between Radiation and Matter 

Interaction between radiation and matter is a precondition for optical measurements with the aim of obtaining analytical information. For sensors, by far the most important kind of radiation is electromagnetic radiation. 

Electromagnetic waves can interact with matter in two different ways, either without loss of energy by elastic interaction or with energy loss by inelastic interaction. Elastic interactions like reflection or refraction yield information about optical properties of the sample. In many cases, such properties depend 

Wavelength (nm) Colour Frequency Fresnel Wave number (cm ) 

Not all spectroscopic measurements can be utilized in sensors, hence only part of the spectroscopic wavelength range is useful for sensor applications. The regions listed in Table 2.2 are meaningful for sensors. 

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