Our research converges on two grand frontiers in IR spectroscopy and microscopy: achieving single-molecule sensitivity—the ability to detect bond vibrations from just one molecule—and pushing spatial resolution to the nanoscale, with imaging resolution finer than 10 nanometers.
BonFIRE
Bond-selective fluorescence-detected IR–excited spectro-microscopy
BonFIRE leverages a two-pulse double-resonance scheme to convert mid-IR (MIR) absorption of a fluorophore into highly sensitive, background-free fluorescence. The emitted fluorescence scales with both the MIR absorption and the electronic–vibrational coupling strength (Franck–Condon factor), enabling room-temperature single-molecule IR sensitivity without plasmonic enhancements.
AFM+IR
The combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and IR spectroscopy
AFM+IR uses a metallic AFM tip as a nano-antenna (lightning rod effect) to focus MIR light into a nanogap between the tip and sample. The resulting intense, localized IR field induces photothermal expansion and light scattering within the tip–sample interaction volume. By detecting either response, AFM+IR enables near-field infrared spectroscopy with spatial resolution close to or below 10 nm, in a label-free manner.
Instrumentation
Transformative science begins with transformative tools. By building state-of-the-art instruments tailored for precision and purpose, we unlock new capabilities—and with them, brand new discoveries.
