Generalized Two-Dimensional Correlation Method Applicable to Infrared, Raman, and other Types of Spectroscopy

A two-dimensional (2D) correlation method generally applicable to various types of spectroscopy, including IR and Raman spectroscopy, is introduced. In the proposed 2D correlation scheme, an external perturbation is applied to a system while being monitored by an electromagnetic probe. With the application of a correlation analysis to spectral intensity fluctuations induced by the perturbation, new types of spectra defined by two independent spectral variable axes are obtained. Such two-dimensional correlation spectra emphasize spectral features not readily observable in conventional one-dimensional spectra. While a similar 2D correlation formalism has already been developed in the past for analysis of simple sinusoidally varying IR signals, the newly proposed formalism is designed to handle signals fluctuating as an arbitrary function of time, or any other physical variable. This development makes the 2D correlation approach a universal spectroscopic tool, generally applicable to a very wide range of applications. The basic property of 2D correlation spectra obtained by the new method is described first, and several spectral data sets are analyzed by the proposed scheme to demonstrate the utility of generalized 2D correlation spectra. Potential applications of this 2D correlation approach are then explored.