Abstract
This article describes a technique for the spectroscopic of metal clusters and intermetallic compounds. First, metallic samples are vaporized by a pulsed YAG (yttrium-aluminum garnet) laser, and then the gaseous products are excited with a pulsed-dye laser until they fluoresce. A time-resolved, fluorescence spectrum is then measured by the product. The application of this technique to the study of metal dimers is reviewed, with emphasis on recent results from Be2 and Cr2. Studies of such species often yield insights into the chemistry of metals and metal-metal bonding.