Vibrational Spectroscopic Detection of a Single Virus by Mid-Infrared Photothermal Microscopy

We report a confocal interferometric mid-infrared photothermal (MIP) microscope for ultra-sensitive and spatially resolved chemical imaging of individual viruses. The interferometric scattering principle is applied to detect the very weak photothermal signal induced by infrared absorption of chemical bonds. Spectroscopic MIP detection of single vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSVs) and poxviruses is demonstrated. The single virus spectra show high...