The invention relates to a high-sensitivity method for detecting differences between the physically measurable properties of a sample P and a reference R. Said method is characterized by carrying out the following steps: (i) providing a sample P, (ii) providing a reference sample R, (iii) providing a two-dimensional reference field RF, (iv) producing a first two-dimensional pattern from areas of reference sample R and reference field RF and a second two-dimensional pattern from areas of sample P and reference field RF, the first and the second pattern being described by a location-dependent and wavelength-dependent pattern function M(x, y, ?), (v) detecting, while using a detector, for the first pattern at a freely selectable point in time t0 and for the second pattern at a point in time t, the transmission, reflection or scattering of analytical radiation through the first pattern or the second pattern depending on the position coordinates (x, y) of the first or second pattern and the wavelength ? of the analytical radiation, thereby determining, for the first pattern, a first pattern response function M0(x, y, ?, t0), comprising spatially separate areas of a reference response function R0(x, y, ?, t0) and a first reference field response function RF0(x, y, ?, t0), determining, for the second pattern, a second pattern response function Mt(x, y, ?, t), comprising spatially separate areas of a sample response function Pt(x, y, ?, t) and a second reference field response function RFt(x, y, ?, t), the functions M0 and Mt each reflecting the intensity of the transmitted, reflected or scattered analytical radiation depending on the position coordinates (x, y) for the first or second pattern and the wavelength ? at different points in time of detection t0 or t, (vi) correcting the sample response function in such a manner that the location, time and wavelength-dependent variations caused by the detector are eliminated from the sample response function Pt, by using the first and second reference field response function RF0 and RFt, thereby obtaining a corrected sample response function Pt, korr, (vii) using the corrected sample response function Pt, korr and the reference response function R0 to determine a change in the physically measurable property.