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Adhikari S, Smit R, Orrit M. Future Paths in Cryogenic Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2024; 128:3-18. [PMID: 38229590 PMCID: PMC10788914 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c06564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
In the last three decades, cryogenic single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy has provided average-free understanding of the photophysics and of fundamental interactions at molecular scales. Furthermore, they propose original pathways and applications in the treatment and storage of quantum information. The ultranarrow lifetime-limited zero-phonon line acts as an excellent sensor to local perturbations caused either by intrinsic dynamical degrees of freedom, or by external perturbations, such as those caused by electric fields, elastic and acoustic deformations, or light-induced dynamics. Single aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, being sensitive to nanoscale probing at nanometer scales, are potential miniaturized platforms for integrated quantum photonics. In this Perspective, we look back at some of the past advances in cryogenic optical microscopy and propose some perspectives for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Smit
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Orrit
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Moradi A, Ristanović Z, Orrit M, Deperasińska I, Kozankiewicz B. Matrix-induced Linear Stark Effect of Single Dibenzoterrylene Molecules in 2,3-Dibromonaphthalene Crystal. Chemphyschem 2019; 20:55-61. [PMID: 30427119 PMCID: PMC6391937 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201800937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Absorption and fluorescence from single molecules can be tuned by applying an external electric field - a phenomenon known as the Stark effect. A linear Stark effect is associated to a lack of centrosymmetry of the guest in the host matrix. Centrosymmetric guests can display a linear Stark effect in disordered matrices, but the response of individual guest molecules is often relatively weak and non-uniform, with a broad distribution of the Stark coefficients. Here we introduce a novel single-molecule host-guest system, dibenzoterrylene (DBT) in 2,3-dibromonaphthalene (DBN) crystal. Fluorescent DBT molecules show excellent spectral stability with a large linear Stark effect, of the order of 1.5 GHz/kVcm-1 , corresponding to an electric dipole moment change of around 2 D. Remarkably, when the electric field is aligned with the a crystal axis, nearly all DBT molecules show either positive or negative Stark shifts with similar absolute values. These results are consistent with quantum chemistry calculations. Those indicate that DBT substitutes three DBN molecules along the a-axis, giving rise to eight equivalent embedding sites, related by the three glide planes of the orthorhombic crystal. The static dipole moment of DBT molecules is created by host-induced breaking of the inversion symmetry. This new host-guest system is promising for applications that require a high sensitivity of fluorescent emitters to electric fields, for example to probe weak electric fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Moradi
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes LaboratoryLION, Postbus 95042300RA LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Zoran Ristanović
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes LaboratoryLION, Postbus 95042300RA LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Michel Orrit
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes LaboratoryLION, Postbus 95042300RA LeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Irena Deperasińska
- Institute of PhysicsPolish Academy of Sciences Al. Lotnikow 32/4602-668WarsawPoland
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Verhart NR, Müller M, Orrit M. Spectroscopy of Single Dibenzoterrylene Molecules in para-Dichlorobenzene. Chemphyschem 2016; 17:1524-9. [PMID: 26840901 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201501087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We study single dibenzoterrylene (DBT) molecules embedded in 1,4-dichlorobenzene (para-dichlorobenzene, pDCB) at 1.2 K. Due to the relatively low melting point of pDCB (53 °C), this host-guest system can be easily prepared from the molten phase. Narrow linewidths, stable molecular lines and high saturation count rates of single DBT molecules were observed. For this reason, we consider this host-guest system a promising candidate for the study of interactions of single molecules with other small objects such as waveguides or nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico R Verhart
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Müller
- Isabellenhütte Heusler GmbH & Co KG., Dillenburg, Germany
| | - Michel Orrit
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
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Park KD, Muller EA, Kravtsov V, Sass PM, Dreyer J, Atkin JM, Raschke MB. Variable-Temperature Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Single-Molecule Fluctuations and Dynamics. NANO LETTERS 2016; 16:479-87. [PMID: 26679007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Structure, dynamics, and coupling involving single-molecules determine function in catalytic, electronic or biological systems. While vibrational spectroscopy provides insight into molecular structure, rapid fluctuations blur the molecular trajectory even in single-molecule spectroscopy, analogous to spatial averaging in measuring large ensembles. To gain insight into intramolecular coupling, substrate coupling, and dynamic processes, we use tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) at variable and cryogenic temperatures, to slow and control the motion of a single molecule. We resolve intrinsic line widths of individual normal modes, allowing detailed and quantitative investigation of the vibrational modes. From temperature dependent line narrowing and splitting, we quantify ultrafast vibrational dephasing, intramolecular coupling, and conformational heterogeneity. Through statistical correlation analysis of fluctuations of individual modes, we observe rotational motion and spectral fluctuations of the molecule. This work demonstrates single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy beyond chemical identification, opening the possibility for a complete picture of molecular motion ranging from femtoseconds to minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Duck Park
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Eric A Muller
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Vasily Kravtsov
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Paul M Sass
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jens Dreyer
- German Research School for Simulation Sciences, RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich , D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Joanna M Atkin
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Markus B Raschke
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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Tian Y, Navarro P, Orrit M. Single molecule as a local acoustic detector for mechanical oscillators. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 113:135505. [PMID: 25302904 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.113.135505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A single molecule can serve as a nanometer-sized detector of acoustic strain. Such a nanomicrophone has the great advantage that it can be placed very close to acoustic signal sources and high sensitivities can be achieved. We demonstrate this scheme by monitoring the fluorescence intensity of a single dibenzoterrylene molecule in an anthracene crystal attached to an oscillating tuning fork. The characterization of the vibration amplitude and of the detection sensitivity is a first step towards detection and control of nanomechanical oscillators through optical detection and feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Tian
- MoNOS, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Pedro Navarro
- MoNOS, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michel Orrit
- MoNOS, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
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Stopel MHW, Blum C, Subramaniam V. Excitation Spectra and Stokes Shift Measurements of Single Organic Dyes at Room Temperature. J Phys Chem Lett 2014; 5:3259-3264. [PMID: 26276342 DOI: 10.1021/jz501536a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report measurements of excitation and emission spectra of single, polymer-embedded, perylene dye molecules at room temperature. From these measurements, we can derive the Stokes shift for each single molecule. We determined the distribution of excitation and emission peak energies and, thus, the distribution of single molecule Stokes shifts. Single molecule Stokes shifts have not been recorded to date, and the Stokes shift has often been assumed to be constant in single molecule studies. Our data show that the observed spectral heterogeneity in single molecule emission originates not only from synchronous energetic shifts of the excitation and the emission spectra but also from variations in the Stokes shift, speaking against the assumption of constant Stokes shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn H W Stopel
- †Nanobiophysics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Blum
- †Nanobiophysics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Vinod Subramaniam
- †Nanobiophysics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- ‡Nanobiophysics, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- §FOM Institute AMOLF, 104 Science Park, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Navarro P, Tian Y, van Stee M, Orrit M. Stable single-molecule lines of terrylene in polycrystalline para-dichlorobenzene at 1.5 K. Chemphyschem 2014; 15:3032-9. [PMID: 25111909 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201402200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The spectroscopic properties of single terrylene (Tr) molecules are studied in a polycrystalline matrix of para-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) at 1.5 K. Samples grown in a glass capillary show a very strong site at 597 nm, which is redshifted by more than 700 cm(-1) from the observed transition energy for Tr in p-DCB prepared as a film on a coverslip (572 nm). Each of these two sites is characterized by measuring their single-molecule spectroscopic parameters at 1.5 K. Lifetime-limited linewidths of 45±5 MHz are found for both sites. Fluorescence detection rates reach 8×10(4) count s(-1) at saturation. The spectral trails of the majority of single molecules show no spectral jumps, indicating an absence of interacting two-level systems; however, the small distribution of linewidths may indicate weak interactions with low-frequency modes. Frequency jumps are observed for 10 % of the molecules. The complete emission spectra from two different single molecules at the center of each of the two sites is presented. Debye-Waller factors of αDW=0.33±0.05 for the normal site (572 nm) and αDW=0.30±0.05 for the red site (597 nm) are reported. This new host-guest system provides a quick and easy way to obtain lifetime-limited single-molecule lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Navarro
- MoNOS, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, University of Leiden, 2300 RA Leiden (The Netherlands)
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Kozankiewicz B, Orrit M. Single-molecule photophysics, from cryogenic to ambient conditions. Chem Soc Rev 2014; 43:1029-43. [DOI: 10.1039/c3cs60165j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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