Turning light energy into heat to fight disease

An emerging technology involving particles that absorb light and turn it into localized heat sources shows great promise in several fields, including medicine. This heating must be carefully controlled however, and the ability to monitor temperature increases is crucial. Scientists report a method to measure these temperatures using terahertz radiation. The study involved gold nanorods in water in cuvettes, which were illuminated by a laser focused on a spot within the cuvette.