Laser resonance photoionization spectroscopy of molecules

This review concerns the important problem of resonance interaction of laser radiation with polyatomic molecules via intermediate electronic excited states. The relation between the photoionization yield and photofragmentation of molecules and the spectroscopic and physicochemical properties of molecules in excited electronic states is discussed. The application of resonance laser photoionization to ultrasensitive (down to single molecules) detection of polyatomic molecules is examined.