An apparatus for analyzing a material comprising at least one analyte, said apparatus comprising - a measurement body having a contact surface suitable to be brought in thermal contact or pressure-transmitting contact with said material , said thermal or pressure-transmitting contact permitting heat or pressure waves generated by absorption of excitation radiation in the material to be transferred to said measurement body, - an excitation radiation source configured for irradiating excitation radiation into the material to be absorbed therein by the analyte, and - a detection device for detecting a physical response of the measurement body, or of a component included therein, to heat or a pressure wave received from said material upon absorption of said excitation radiation and for generating a response signal based on said detected physical response, said response signal being indicative of the degree of absorption of excitation radiation by the analyte, wherein said measurement body is transparent for said excitation radiation , wherein said excitation radiation source is configured for providing said excitation radiation as an excitation beam, and wherein the excitation radiation source is arranged such that said excitation beam is irradiated into said measurement body at an entrance surface thereof, propagates through a portion of said measurement body and exits from the measurement body at said contact surface , wherein the entrance surface and the contact surface at the respective portions thereof where the excitation beam enters and leaves the measurement body, respectively, are inclined with respect to each other with an angle of 1.0° or more and 8.0° or less, characterized in that the excitation beam impinges on the entrance surface at an angle of 89.0° or less and of 82.0° or more. - a measurement body having a contact surface suitable to be brought in thermal contact or pressure-transmitting contact with said material , said thermal or pressure-transmitting contact permitting heat or pressure waves generated by absorption of excitation radiation in the material to be transferred to said measurement body, - an excitation radiation source configured for irradiating excitation radiation into the material to be absorbed therein by the analyte, and - a detection device for detecting a physical response of the measurement body, or of a component included therein, to heat or a pressure wave received from said material upon absorption of said excitation radiation and for generating a response signal based on said detected physical response, said response signal being indicative of the degree of absorption of excitation radiation by the analyte, wherein said measurement body is transparent for said excitation radiation , wherein said excitation radiation source is configured for providing said excitation radiation as an excitation beam, and wherein the excitation radiation source is arranged such that said excitation beam is irradiated into said measurement body at an entrance surface thereof, propagates through a portion of said measurement body and exits from the measurement body at said contact surface , wherein the entrance surface and the contact surface at the respective portions thereof where the excitation beam enters and leaves the measurement body, respectively, are inclined with respect to each other with an angle of 1.0° or more and 8.0° or less, characterized in that the excitation beam impinges on the entrance surface at an angle of 89.0° or less and of 82.0° or more. <EOS>