This collection of reviews by leading Japanese researchers covers topics like ultrafast optical responses, terahertz and phonon studies, super-sensitive surface and high-pressure spectroscopy, combination of visible and x-ray photonics. Several related areas at the cutting edge of measurement technology and materials science are included. This book is partly based on well-cited review articles in the Japanese language in special volumes of the Journal of the Vacuum Society of Japan.

State-of-Art of Terahertz Science and Technology.- Broadband Terahertz Spectroscopy and its Application to the Characterization of Thin Films.- Single Photon Counting and Passive Microscopy of Terahertz Radiation.- Coherent Phonons in Carbon Nanotubes.- Time-resolved X-ray Diffraction Studies of Coherent Lattice Dynamics Using Synchrotron Radiation.- Imaging GHz-THz Acoustic Wave Propagation in Thin Films and Microstructures.- Material Evaluation with Various Optical Measurement Systems: Focusing on Terahertz Spectroscopy.- Ultrafast Excitation and Dynamics Measurements with Intense Ultrashort Laser Pulses: High-Order Harmonic Generation from Aligning Molecules and Surface Nanostructuring.- Real Space Mapping of Exciton Interaction Strength in GaN Films by using Four-Wave-Mixing Technique.- Terahertz Light Source Based on Synchrotron Radiation.- Terahertz Synchrotron Radiation; Optics and Application.- Far-infrared Spectroscopy on Solids under Ultra High Pressures.- Real-time Analysis of Initial Oxidation Process on Si(001) by Means of Surface Differential Reflectance Spectroscopy and Reflectance Difference Spectroscopy.