Method of investigating a sample having an absorption within an infrared spectral range of interest, comprising the steps of: - creating measuring light with a light source device , wherein the measuring light includes wavelengths covering the infrared spectral range, - directing the measuring light through the sample to a detector device with a plurality of detector units , each of which comprising an infrared sensitive sensor section and an associated dielectric metamaterial resonator section having a specific spectral resonance line , wherein the spectral resonance lines of the resonator sections have different frequencies within the infrared spectral range, wherein the measuring light is transmitted through the sample to the resonator sections and subsequently sensed by the sensor sections , wherein an output of each of the sensor sections depends on the absorption of the sample at the frequency of the spectral resonance line of the associated resonator section , and - providing at least one absorption characteristic of the sample on the basis of the output of the sensor sections , wherein - the sample is arranged for providing near field coupling of electronic states of the sample and photonic resonator states of the resonator sections , wherein, for each of the resonator sections , a resonance line attenuation is created, which is determined by a complex refractive index of the sample at the frequency of the spectral resonance line of the resonator section , - the output of each of the sensor sections is determined by the resonance line attenuation of the associated resonator section , and - the step of providing the at least one absorption characteristic of the sample includes a step of creating a pixelated spatial output map of the sensor sections , wherein each pixel of the spatial output map represents the resonance line attenuation of the associated resonator section , and the at least one absorption characteristic of the sample is represented by the spatial output map . - creating measuring light with a light source device , wherein the measuring light includes wavelengths covering the infrared spectral range, - directing the measuring light through the sample to a detector device with a plurality of detector units , each of which comprising an infrared sensitive sensor section and an associated dielectric metamaterial resonator section having a specific spectral resonance line , wherein the spectral resonance lines of the resonator sections have different frequencies within the infrared spectral range, wherein the measuring light is transmitted through the sample to the resonator sections and subsequently sensed by the sensor sections , wherein an output of each of the sensor sections depends on the absorption of the sample at the frequency of the spectral resonance line of the associated resonator section , and - providing at least one absorption characteristic of the sample on the basis of the output of the sensor sections , wherein - the sample is arranged for providing near field coupling of electronic states of the sample and photonic resonator states of the resonator sections , wherein, for each of the resonator sections , a resonance line attenuation is created, which is determined by a complex refractive index of the sample at the frequency of the spectral resonance line of the resonator section , - the output of each of the sensor sections is determined by the resonance line attenuation of the associated resonator section , and - the step of providing the at least one absorption characteristic of the sample includes a step of creating a pixelated spatial output map of the sensor sections , wherein each pixel of the spatial output map represents the resonance line attenuation of the associated resonator section , and the at least one absorption characteristic of the sample is represented by the spatial output map . <EOS>