1. Introduction.- 1.1 Laser Excitation and Induced Processes.- 1.2 Detection Schemes.- 1.3 Interface Systems.- 1.4 Applications.- 1.5 Discussion of the Literature.- References.- 2. Desorption Stimulated by Electronic Excitation with Laser Light.- 2.1 Stimulated Desorption — An Overview.- 2.2 Desorption Induced by Laser Light.- 2.3 Laser-Induced Desorption Stimulated by Surface Plasmon Excitation.- 2.4 Conclusions and Outlook.- References.- 3. Time-of-Flight Analysis of IR and UV Laser-Induced Multilayer Desorption and Ablation.- 3.1 Background.- 3.2 Desorption and Ablation.- 3.3 Time-of-Flight Technique.- 3.4 IR Laser-Induced Desorption and Ablation.- 3.5 UV Laser-Induced Desorption and Ablation.- 3.6 Conclusions.- References.- 4. From Laser-Induced Desorption to Surface Damage.- 4.1 Overview.- 4.2 Metals.- 4.3 Wide Band Gap Ionic Materials.- 4.4 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 5. Photothermal Analysis of Thin Films.- 5.1 Photothermal and Photoacoustic Effect in Thin Films.- 5.2 Spectroscopy of Thin Films.- 5.3 Thermal Analysis of Thin Films.- 5.4 Ultrasonic Analysis of Thin Films.- 5.5 Nondestructive Evaluation of Thin Films.- 5.6 Miscellaneous Thin Film Applications.- 5.7 Conclusion.- References.- 6. Photothermal Characterization of Surfaces and Interfaces.- 6.1 Photoacoustic Generation and Transducer Detection.- 6.2 Photothermal Probe-Beam Refractions.- 6.3 Photothermal Radiometry.- 6.4 Conclusions.- References.- 7. Spectroscopic Depth Profiling Using Thermal Waves.- 7.1 Theory.- 7.2 Experimental Methods.- 7.3 Applications.- References.- 8. Frequency-Modulated Time-Delay-Domain Photothermal Spectrometry: Principles, Instrumentation and Applications to Solids.- 8.1 Introduction and Conceptual Building Blocks.- 8.2 Experimental FM-TDS Recovery Techniques, DynamicRange and Limitations.- 8.3 Photothermal Wave Applications.- 8.4 Conclusions — Future Directions.- References.- 9. Nondestructive Evaluation with Thermal Waves.- 9.1 Physical Background of Thermal Waves.- 9.2 Experimental Arrangement.- 9.3 Nondestructive Evaluation of Metals with Thermal Waves.- 9.4 NDE of Nonmetals with Thermal Waves.- 9.5 Coatings.- 9.6 Conclusion.- References.- 10. Surface Acoustic Waves in Solid-State Investigations.- 10.1 Fundamentals.- 10.2 Investigation and Characterization of Materials by Surface Acoustic Waves: State of the Art and Main Results.- 10.3 Conclusion.- References.- 11. Heat Diffusion and Random Media.- 11.1 Diffusion Processes.- 11.2 Introduction to Fractal Geometry.- 11.3 Diffusion from Fractal Sources: A Possible Model for the Behavior of Rough Surfaces?.- 11.4 Euclidean and Fractal Sources in Random Media: A Possible Model for Heat Diffusion in Random Media?.- 11.5 Future Trends and Conclusion.- References.- 12. Locally Resolved Magnetic Resonance in Ferromagnetic Layers and Films.- 12.1 Survey of Microwave Resonance Detection Techniques.- 12.2 Basic Theory of Ferromagnetic Resonance.- 12.3 Photoacoustically Detected Ferromagnetic Resonance.- 12.4 FMR Detection by Photothermal Laser Beam Deflection.- 12.5 Photothermally Modulated Ferromagnetic Resonance.- 12.6 Summary.- References.