Abstract
An overview of optical effects in micrometer-sized droplets is presented. The fundamentals of microdroplet optics are expounded. The scope of the analyzed phenomena includes enhancement of the spontaneous emission probability, laser generation, Raman light scattering, changes in the rates of physicochemical processes, and peculiarities of action on droplets by high-power light pulses. It is emphasized that the knowledge acquired can be applied to droplet structure analysis based on the measurement of resonance positions and amplitudes in elastic or inelastic light scattering spectra.