A biological component measurement apparatus includes an optical medium, a high thermal conductive film, an excitation light source, a probe light source, and a light position detector. The high thermal conductive film is higher in thermal conductivity than the optical medium, and is provided on a sample placement surface of the optical medium. The high thermal conductive film spreads heat generated from the sample irradiated with excitation light more in a first direction than in a second direction. The first direction is a traveling direction of probe light in plan view of the sample placement surface. The second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view of the sample placement surface.

Irradiation light in a visible light region is irradiated to a sample while switching irradiation of infrared light IR having a wavelength that corresponds to the infrared absorption spectrum of an observation target material included in the sample between a first state and a second state. A first image and a second image are generated based on the phase distribution, the intensity distribution, and the polarization direction distribution of the light including the irradiation light that has passed through the sample in synchronization with the switching of the infrared light IR irradiation between the first state and the second state. Subsequently, an output image is generated so as to represent one from among the position, size, and shape based on the difference and/or ratio with respect to the pixel values for each pixel between the first image and the second image.

Arrangements and methods are provided for obtaining information associated with an anatomical sample. For example, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to the anatomical sample so as to generate at least one acoustic wave in the anatomical sample. At least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be produced based on the acoustic wave. At least one portion of at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided so as to determine information associated with at least one portion of the anatomical sample. In addition, the information based on data associated with the second electro-magnetic radiation can be analyzed. The first electro-magnetic radiation may include at least one first magnitude and at least one first frequency. The second electro-magnetic radiation can include at least one second magnitude and at least one second frequency. The data may relate to a first difference between the first and second magnitudes and/or a second difference between the first and second frequencies. The second difference may be approximately between −100 GHz and 100 GHz, excluding zero.

A method comprises non-destructive contact-free physical characterization of a sample by repeated excitations of the surface of a sample with a sequence of pulses comprising at least one pump pulse by a first “pump” laser followed by a succession of L temporarily offset pulses by a second “probe” laser, and the analysis of the beam emitted by the surface of the sample by an activated photodetector, for the acquisition of signals delivered by the photodetectors during constant time windows.

Photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy system and method for accumulating separately a “pump on” light beam and a “pump off light beam reflecting off a sample. The system comprises: (a) a probe source for producing a probe beam, the probe beam is used for measuring spectral reflectivity of a sample, (b) a pump source for producing a pump beam, (c) at least one spectrometer, (d) a first modulation device to allow the pump beam to alternatingly modulate the spectral reflectivity of the sample, so that, a light beam reflecting from the sample is alternatingly a “pump on” light beam and a “pump off light beam, (e) a second modulation device in a path of the light beam reflecting off the sample to alternatingly direct the “pump on” light beam and the “pump off light beam to the at least one spectrometer, and (f) a computer.

A photoacoustic remote sensing system (NI-PARS) for imaging a subsurface structure in a sample, has an excitation beam configured to generate ultrasonic signals in the sample at an excitation location; an interrogation beam incident on the sample at the excitation location, a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample that is indicative of the generated ultrasonic signals; an optical system that focuses at least one of the excitation beam and the interrogation beam with a focal point that is below the surface of the sample; and a detector that detects the returning portion of the interrogation beam.

Systems and methods for detecting photothermal effect in a sample are described herein. In these systems and methods, a pump source is configured to generate a pump pulse train, a probe source is configured to generate a probe pulse train and is synchronized with the pump pulse train, and a camera collects the resulting data. The camera is configured to collect a first signal corresponding to a hot frame, wherein the hot frame includes visible probe beam as modified by a pump beam and a second signal corresponding to a cold frame, wherein the cold frame includes visible probe beam that has not been modified by a pump beam. A processor can subtract the second signal from the first signal to detect the photothermal effect.

A spectroscopic analyzer includes: an irradiator that irradiates a target measurement object with lights of a plurality of different wavelengths sequentially as a pre-irradiation, and, after the pre-irradiation, further irradiates the target measurement object with lights of a plurality of different wavelengths sequentially as a measurement-irradiation; a detector that, during the measurement-irradiation, detects reflected light, transmitted light, or a transmitted reflected light from the target measurement object at each of the plurality of different wavelengths of the measurement-irradiation and that outputs absorbance spectral data; a data analyzer that analyzes the absorbance spectral data; and a result display that displays analysis results related to components of the target measurement object.

A microspectroscopic device includes: a wavelength-tunable first light source configured to emit pump-light in a mid-infrared wavelength range; a second light source configured to emit probe-light in a visible range; a light source controller configured to change a wavelength of the infrared light source; a first optical system configured to combine the pump-light and the probe-light to acquired combined light and concentrate the combined light on a minute part of a sample; a second optical system configured to block at least the probe-light from transmitted light or reflected light of the sample; a detector configured to detect light incident thereon from the second optical system; a first spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire a spectrum of the incident light during the probe-light emission to the sample as a Raman spectrum or a fluorescence spectrum of the sample; and a second spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire an infrared absorption spectrum of the sample, based on a change in the spectrum of the incident light with respect to a change in a wavelength by the light source controller during the probe-light and pump-light emission to the sample.

A rapid photoreflectance spectroscopy technique using parallel demodulation has been developed. A high-speed spectroscopic photo-reflectometer comprising an intensity modulated pump laser beam to modulate the reflectivity of a semiconductor sample and a second spectroscopic probe light beam to measure the modulated reflectance of the sample is disclosed. The modulated pump beam is focused onto the sample where it interacts with the sample. The spectroscopic probe beam is focused onto the sample where it is reflected. The reflected probe beam is collected and its constituent wavelengths are dispersed onto a compact photosensor array further comprising a parallel demodulation circuit for each photosensor element. Demodulated signals may then be passed to a computer for recordation and/or further analysis. A fit to the data may then be performed using standard nonlinear regression techniques, thereby providing rapid characterization of the sample material and/or electronic properties.