Virtual compton scattering at low energy and the generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon

We present a particular kind of (e, e' p) experiments, which has opened a new field of investigation of nucleon structure in the last ten years. The exclusive photon electroproduction process p(e, e' p)γ is used to study Virtual Compton Scattering (VCS) off the proton: γ*p → γp. In the low energy domain, this process gives access to new observables called the Generalized Polarizabilities. They are fundamental properties of the nucleon, characterizing the deformation of its internal structure under an applied electromagnetic field. Dedicated experiments have been performed at MAMI, Jefferson Lab and MIT-Bates. This contribution summarizes the results obtained so far and future prospects in the field