Inelastic Light Scattering Investigations on Novel Materials

Scattering of light has long been a topic of great fascination for physicists right from the beginning of investigations on the properties of light. This work describes the ubiquity and versatility of the use of Inelastic Light Scattering (i.e. Raman and Brillouin Scattering) coupled with the two thermodynamic variables (i.e. pressure and temperature) to addresses discrete topics about different class of materials. Particularly, thermal, elastic, structural and bonding properties of materials, microscopic mechanism of thermodynamically driven phase transitions in several class of materials using inelastic light scattering is discussed. Basic phenomena of inelastic light scattering and pressure/temperature effects on material properties are also covered in the introduction.