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Mid-infrared microscopy is an important tool for biological analyses, allowing a direct probe of molecular bonds in their low energy landscape. In addition to the label-free extraction of spectroscopic information, the application of broadband sources can provide a third dimension of chemical specificity. However, to enable widespread deployment, mid-infrared microscopy platforms need to be compact and robust while offering high speed, broad bandwidth, and high signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, we experimentally showcase the integration of a broadband, high-repetition-rate dual-comb spectrometer (DCS) in the mid-infrared range with a scanning microscope. We employ a set of 1-GHz mid-infrared frequency combs, demonstrating their capability for high-speed and broadband hyperspectral imaging of polymers and ovarian tissue. The system covers 1000 cm−1 at νc = 2941 cm−1 with 12.86 kHz spectra acquisition rate and 5 µm spatial resolution. Taken together, our experiments and analysis elucidate the trade-off between bandwidth and speed in DCS as it relates to microscopy. This provides a roadmap for the future advancement and application of high-repetition-rate DCS hyperspectral imaging. 

We study abundance and temperature of species in reactant to product breakdown of 1,3,5-trioxane inside a shock-tube using a 1 GHz repetition rate mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer with optical bandwidth > 30 THz. 

We report high-speed measurements of chemical kinetics reactions inside a shock tube using a 1-GHz repetition rate mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer. We show formation of formaldehyde and sub-sequent decomposition to carbon-monoxide with 17.5 μs time resolution.