IR microspectroscopy is a vibrational technique that is non-destructive and which is exhibiting a strong interest at synchrotron facilities. The coupling of this analytical technique with the synchrotron source provides advantages in its brightness/brilliance (about 1000 times brighter) with respect to blackbody source (thermal infrared source), as well as, in its time structure, and its polarisation. Synchrotron infrared beam spans a large wavelengths distribution - covering also the far-IR (or THz region). In the so-called mid-infrared range (2 to 25 µm wavelength) Fourier Transform IR interferometers have proven extremely potential for a variety of research fields – including polymers, surface science, geology, and archaeological materials, as well as, food, plant and biomedical studies – through identification and imaging of IR-active vibrational modes of molecular components at microscopic scale. SR high brightness benefits FTIR microspectroscopy on very small samples with a signal-to-noise ratio unreachable by other broadband sources exploiting the diffraction-limited spatial resolution capacity (as low as 3 to 10µm) in confocal geometry.

The SESAME Infrared beamline came into operation in November 2018 with a reliable capacity to serve users of the Infrared scientific community. It allows the Synchrotron Radiation Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (SR-µFTIR), using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) interferometer. The beamline utilizes the Infrared synchrotron radiation from two main emission sources; the constant field (BM) of the bending magnet and the edge radiation (ER).