Vibrational contrast imaging and nanospectroscopy of single cell membranes by mid-IR resonantly-enhanced mechanical photoexpansion

By use of resonantly-enhanced mechanical photoexpansion technique we have performed mid-infrared vibrational spectroscopy and imaging on the nanoscale of individual purple membranes deposited on ultraflat gold substrate. The observed Amide I and Amide II bands of proteins are in good agreement with the far-field infrared transmission spectra previously collected on large numbers of membranes. A comparison between the near-field signal of single purple membranes and that of two overlapping membranes is presented. The results are discussed by adopting simple thermal and electromagnetic considerations.