Field-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy of Biological Samples

Spectrally (and spatially) resolved interrogation of molecular vibrations with infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies affords label-free, molecular-specific analysis of complex samples for molecular and biomedical applications [1,2]. In this contribution, we discuss how recent technological advances in the generation and electric-field-resolved detection of broadband, coherent mid-IR pulses afford molecular fingerprinting of intact aqueous biological samples with previously unprecedented sensitivities for vibrational spectroscopy. We present the first field-resolved spectroscopy (FRS) measurements of human blood serum and discuss the potential of simultaneous and fast detection of spectral signatures from molecules covering more than five orders of magnitude in concentration.