Transient absorption microscopy: advances in chemical imaging of photoinduced dynamics. Issue 1 (9th December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Davydova, Dar'ya; de la Cadena, Alejandro; Akimov, Denis; Dietzek, Benjamin
• Is Part Of: Laser & photonics reviews. Volume 10:Issue 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 81
• Publication Date: 2015-12-09
• Subjects: transient absorption microscopy -- pump‐probe microscopy -- nonlinear microscopy -- ultrafast spectroscopy -- photoinduced dynamics; Lasers -- Periodicals; Photonics -- Periodicals; Lasers -- Périodiques; Photonique -- Périodiques; 621.36
• DOI: 10.1002/lpor.201500181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1863-8880

Abstract

Abstract : Transient absorption (pump‐probe) microscopy, a novel technique which allows investigating the excited state dynamics of nonhomogeneous samples with high optical and temporal resolution, is reviewed and its modifications in far‐ and near‐ field are discussed in details. The advantages and challenges of this technique as well as its potentials are illustrated by several application examples. Abstract: This article reviews the state of the art of ultrafast transient absorption microscopy, discusses current experimental concepts and highlights future challenges. The advantages of transient absorption microscopy over other micro‐spectroscopic techniques are its high optical resolution combined with high temporal resolution as well as its ability to study non‐fluorescent and weakly fluorescent molecular species and to probe excited‐state processes. In conventional transient absorption spectroscopy the spectroscopic information usually presents a spatial average over the focal spot of the typically weakly focused probe beam. Transient absorption microscopy, however, enables investigations of the excited state dynamics in individual microscopic areas of a sample. Hence, the technique does not only yield detailed morphological information based on a label‐free molecular contrast, but also gives insight into the ultrafast morphology‐dependent photoinduced processes in heterogeneous samples. Different variations of transient absorption microscopy have found a number of applications ranging from material sciences to biology, which are discussed in this review together with different setup modifications and approaches towards transient absorption spectroscopy with spatial resolution below the diffraction limit.