Photothermal Spectroscopy and Microscopy: Theory, Instrumentation, and Applications (en Inglés) - Ji-Xin Cheng

Optical spectroscopic imaging has long served as a cornerstone of biophotonics and medical photonics, enabling molecularly specific contrast through various mechanisms: mid-infrared fingerprint vibrations, near-infrared overtone and combination bands, spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering, and electronic absorption. While many of these modalities offer strong absorption cross-sections in theory, their practical implementation is limited by signal strength and background interference in real-world biological contexts. Photothermal detection circumvents these limitations by measuring thermally induced changes such as refractive index variation, expansion, or cantilever deflection. Since its first demonstrations in the 1970s for detection of overtone transition, photothermal spectroscopy has evolved significantly-spanning gas-phase sensing, mirage-effect tomography, single-particle optical imaging, and nanoscale AFM-based infrared spectroscopy. Most recently, vibrational photothermal imaging technologies have catalyzed a dramatic expansion of life science and material applications. This book, Photothermal Spectroscopy and Microscopy: Theory, Instrumentation, and Applications, serves as a comprehensive reference for researchers entering or advancing in this rapidly growing field. It is organized into four major sections-Theory, Instrumentation, Sensitivity Enhancement, and Applications-and includes 33 chapters written by leading experts worldwide.