Revolutionary Technique Enables Detection of Mid-Infrared Light at Room Temperature

Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge have developed a new method called MIR Vibrationally-Assisted Luminescence (MIRVAL) for detecting mid-infrared (MIR) light at room temperature using quantum systems. By converting low-energy MIR photons into high-energy visible photons using molecular emitters, this breakthrough allows scientists to detect MIR and perform spectroscopy at a single-molecule level. The new method has potential applications in gas sensing, medical diagnostics, astronomical surveys, and quantum communication, and could lead to advancements in MIR technologies and the manipulation of molecular quantum systems.