Mapping the vibronic structure of a molecule by few-cycle continuum two-dimensional spectroscopy in a single pulse

Accurate mapping of the electronic and vibrational structure of a molecular system is a basic goal of chemistry as it underpins reactivity and function. Experimentally, the challenge is to uncover the intramolecular interactions and ensuing dynamics that define this structure. Multidimensional coherent spectroscopy can map such interactions analogous to the way in which nuclear magnetic resonance provides access to the nuclear spin structure. Here we present two-dimensional coherent spectra measured using few-cycle continuum light. Critically, our approach instantaneously maps the energy landscape of a complex molecular system in a single laser pulse across 350 nm of bandwidth, thereby making it suitable for rapid molecular fingerprinting. We envision few-cycle supercontinuum spectroscopy based on the nonlinear optical response as a powerful tool to examine molecules in the condensed phase at the extremes of time, space, and energy.