Infrared techniques encompass analytical and imaging methods that exploit the interaction of infrared (IR) radiation with matter to probe molecular structure, dynamics, and composition. Core approaches include mid-IR absorption spectroscopy (e.g., FTIR), near-IR spectroscopy, and IR microscopy, which measure vibrational transitions associated with specific chemical bonds and functional groups. Variants such as attenuated total reflectance (ATR), diffuse reflectance (DRIFTS), and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) extend applicability to diverse sample types and surfaces. Time-resolved and nonlinear IR methods (e.g., pump–probe, 2D-IR) enable investigation of ultrafast processes and complex environments, supporting applications in materials science, chemistry, biology, and environmental analysis.
At the top and bottom of the planet, the seasons arrive on a schedule all their own. Satellite data from a mission measuring infrared energy reveal just how differently—and how dramatically—surface temperatures swing across ...
Environment
7 hours ago
0
3
By rapidly twisting a microscopically small tip back and forth, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have unlocked a new way to detect subtle changes on the surface of a material flexing in response to infrared ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 7, 2026
0
33
Researchers have developed and tested an infrared spectroscopy system that can rapidly detect chemical aerosols from a distance by using light reflected from common surfaces such as traffic signs, tree trunks or painted surfaces. ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 30, 2026
0
18
A research team led by UCLA and the University of Rochester has demonstrated a promising evolution of an imaging system designed to capture details within "complex media," which scatter light, from depicting structures inside ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 22, 2026
0
16
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a new way to help gravitational-wave observatories see farther into the universe by solving one of their biggest challenges: tiny heat-induced distortions ...
Astronomy
Jul 21, 2026
0
103
This summer, Subaru Telescope will welcome a new near-infrared spectrograph, NINJA, for its first on-sky engineering observations. NINJA is a new spectrograph designed for time-critical observations of rapidly evolving cosmic ...
Astronomy
Jul 14, 2026
0
8
Researchers from the Molecular Physics and Physical Chemistry departments of the Fritz Haber Institute have shown how two highly synchronized infrared (IR) laser beams can control molecules as they switch between different ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 2, 2026
0
35
Nanorobots have shown great promise in precision medicine over the past few decades. Yet one key challenge remains: how to track and guide these tiny devices in real time as they move through complex physiological environments. ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 20, 2026
0
13
Even at this early stage in our spacefaring age, humanity has already begun sending probes that will eventually reach other solar systems, even if that was not their original intention. Five robotic explorers—Pioneer 10 and ...
Astronomy
Jun 16, 2026
1
35
Laser systems operating in the 2-micrometer wavelength range open diverse opportunities in medical technology, agriculture, and plastics processing. In the Eurostars project DECOMP, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) has developed ...
Optics & Photonics
Jun 1, 2026
0
79
