Sub-Micron to Nanoscale Chemical Characterization of Biological Systems using Laser and AFM Based IR Spectroscopy

Infrared microspectroscopy is a powerful technique for obtaining unique chemical information from a variety of biological systems. In general, spatial resolutions are limited by the Abbe diffraction laws to ∼ λ/2 (3-10 µm). In recent years, the development of the AFM-IR technique has allowed for overcoming these diffraction limitations by using an AFM probe as the detector for IR absorption. Using a quantum cascade IR laser (QCL), the molecular vibrations in a sample are excited, leading to thermal expansion of the surface, which is monitored using an AFM cantilever.

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