Raman spectroscopy and microscopy based on mechanical force detection

The Raman effect is typically observed by irradiating a sample with an intense light source and detecting the minute amount of frequency shifted scattered light. We demonstrate that Raman molecular vibrational resonances can be detected directly through an entirely different mechanism—namely, a force measurement. We create a force interaction through optical parametric down conversion between stimulated, Raman excited, molecules on a surface and a cantilevered nanometer scale probe tip brought very close to it. Spectroscopy and microscopy on clusters of molecules have been performed. Single molecules within such clusters are clearly resolved in the Raman micrographs. The technique can be readily extended to perform pump probe experiments for measuring inter- and intramolecular couplings and conformational changes at the single molecule level.