Recently developed mid-infrared photothermal (MIP) microscopy (Review, Science Advances, 2021, 7: eabg1559) not only overcomes the diffraction limit in direct IR imaging, but also circumvents the limitations in AFM-IR. In MIP microscopy, a visible beam probes the thermal effects induced by an intensity-modulated infrared beam. MIP signals are measured in scanner manner or in wide-field manner through an interferometric scattering microscope, a phase microscope, or an interferometric objective. In wide-field MIP microscope, focal area matching of the IR beam with the visible beam and camera-based paralleled detection offer a high imaging speed. Meanwhile, thermal confinement after nanosecond IR pulse excitation offers sub-micron spatial resolution. MIP microscopy has found important applications in life science and materials science.

Mid-infrared photothermal microscopy: Theory, instrumentation, applications

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.