Multi-Dimensional Spectroscopy of Macromolecules

A method for obtaining information relating to a target molecule in a sample volume containing sample molecules comprising:

• applying a sequence of temporally varying fields in a field direction to the sample volume caused by acoustic forces and/or by electromagnetic fields including electric fields and magnetic fields, or any combination thereof;
• wherein the sequence of temporally varying fields is chosen to produce a temporal sequence of at least two different perturbed molecular configurations for said target molecule in the sample wherein the perturbed molecular configurations are at least in part correlated with the direction and temporal dependence of said applied fields;
• for at least two of said perturbed molecular configurations in said temporal sequence of perturbed molecular configurations directing probe radiation incident on the sample molecules wherein at least one wavelength in the incident probe radiation beam interacts with at least one sample molecule;
• collecting interaction radiation that has at least in part interacted with at least one molecule in each of said at least two perturbed configurations;
• measuring a temporal sequence of amplitudes of interaction radiation collected for a plurality of directions and/or polarizations which are related to the field direction.
• for each field direction and polarization, separating amplitudes that are related to the temporal sequence of applied fields from amplitudes that are not related to the temporal sequence of applied fields;
• and obtaining information relating to a target molecule from amplitudes that are related to the temporal sequence of applied fields.