Direct hyperspectral dual-comb gas imaging in the mid-infrared

In this Letter, we present and experimentally validate the first direct hyperspectral dual-comb gas imaging system operating in the mid-infrared region. This method provides an unmatched combination of super-fine spectral characterization and high temporal resolution without the need for thermal contrast between the target molecules and the background. In a proof-of-concept experiment, the system has allowed us to perform precision hyperspectral imaging of butane in the 3.4 µm band with a time resolution of 1 s.