Fourier transform infrared microscopical analysis with synchrotron radiation: The microscope optics and system performance (invited)

Abstract

When a Fourier transform infrared microspectrometer was first interfaced with the National Synchrotron Light Source in September 1993, there was an instant realization that the performance at the diffraction limit had increased 40–100 times. The synchrotron source transformed the IR microspectrometer into a true IR microprobe, providing high-quality IR spectra for probe diameters at the diffraction limit. The combination of IR microspectroscopy and synchrotron radiation provides a powerful new tool for molecular spectroscopy. The ability to perform IR microspectroscopy with synchrotron radiation is still under development at Brookhaven National Laboratory, but several initial studies have been completed that demonstrate the broad-ranging applications of this technology and its potential for materials characterization.