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Musavinezhad M, Shkarin A, Rattenbacher D, Renger J, Utikal T, Götzinger S, Sandoghdar V. Quantum Efficiency of Single Dibenzoterrylene Molecules in p-Dichlorobenzene at Cryogenic Temperatures. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37267598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We measure the quantum efficiency (QE) of individual dibenzoterrylene (DBT) molecules embedded in p-dichlorobenzene at cryogenic temperatures. To achieve this, we combine two distinct methods based on the maximal photon emission and on the power required to saturate the zero-phonon line to compensate for uncertainties in some key system parameters. We find that the outcomes of the two approaches are in good agreement for reasonable values of the parameters involved, reporting a large fraction of molecules with QE values above 50%, with some exceeding 70%. Furthermore, we observe no correlation between the observed lower bound on the QE and the lifetime of the molecule, suggesting that most of the molecules have a QE exceeding the established lower bound. This confirms the suitability of DBT for quantum optics experiments. In light of previous reports of low QE values at ambient conditions, our results hint at the possibility of a strong temperature dependence of the QE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Musavinezhad
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexey Shkarin
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Renger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Utikal
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stephan Götzinger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Fasoulakis A, Major KD, Hoggarth RA, Burdekin P, Bogusz DP, Schofield RC, Clark AS. Uniaxial strain tuning of organic molecule single photon sources. NANOSCALE 2022; 15:177-184. [PMID: 36472171 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr02439j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic fluorophores are excellent single photon sources, combining high brightness, lifetime-limited linewidths and useful emission wavelengths. A key factor in their performance as photon emitters is their dynamic frequency tunability, which can be used to render the emission from multiple molecules indistinguishable. In this work we demonstrate dynamic tuning of dibenzoterrylene molecules embedded in anthracene crystals through the application of uniaxial strain fields. By bending a piezoelectric strip in two opposite directions in linear steps, we impose an escalating compressive or tensile strain on the molecular crystals, resulting in two opposite dynamic detunings of the dopant dibenzoterrylene emission wavelength. To validate that the tuning mechanism is strain, we performed a similar measurement using an identical strip that was depolarised by annealing in which the tuning was absent. Finally, we simulated the effect of strain on the dopant dibenzoterrylene emission wavelength by combining molecular dynamics and density functional theory techniques to determine the strain tuning rate which matched well with that found experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Fasoulakis
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training, University of Bristol, 5 Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1FD, Bristol, UK
| | - Kyle D Major
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Rowan A Hoggarth
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Paul Burdekin
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Dominika P Bogusz
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Ross C Schofield
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Alex S Clark
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Quantum Engineering Technology Labs, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory and Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bristol, BS8 1UB, Bristol, UK
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Erker C, Basché T. The Energy Gap Law at Work: Emission Yield and Rate Fluctuations of Single NIR Emitters. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:14053-14056. [PMID: 35904975 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c07188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Internal conversion (IC) often is the dominating relaxation pathway in NIR emitters, lowering their fluorescence quantum yield. Here, we investigate dibenzoterrylene (DBT) by bulk and single molecule spectroscopy. With increasing solvent polarity, the S1-S0 energy gap decreases leading to a decrease of the fluorescence quantum yield and an increase of the IC rate in full accordance with the energy gap law. Making use of the unexpectedly strong fluorescence solvatochromism of this aromatic hydrocarbon, the validity of the energy gap law could also be demonstrated at the single molecule level. The S1-S0 energy gap not only controls the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of single molecules but also dictates how these quantities develop during spectral fluctuations. Our results open new avenues into unexplored single molecule photophysics and appear as a promising tool for nanoscale probing of dynamic heterogeneities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Erker
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Basché
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55099 Mainz, Germany
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Zirkelbach J, Mirzaei M, Deperasinska I, Kozankiewicz B, Gurlek B, Shkarin A, Utikal T, Götzinger S, Sandoghdar V. High-resolution vibronic spectroscopy of a single molecule embedded in a crystal. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:104301. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0081297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Boleslaw Kozankiewicz
- Radiation Physics and Spectroscopy, Institute of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
| | - Burak Gurlek
- Sandoghdar Division, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Utikal
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany
| | | | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Division Sandoghdar, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany
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Schofield RC, Burdekin P, Fasoulakis A, Devanz L, Bogusz DP, Hoggarth RA, Major KD, Clark AS. Narrow and stable single photon emission from dibenzoterrylene in para-terphenyl nanocrystals. Chemphyschem 2021; 23:e202100809. [PMID: 34905640 PMCID: PMC9302619 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Single organic molecules are promising photon sources for quantum technologies. In this work we show photon emission from dibenzoterrylene, a widely used organic emitter, in a new host matrix, para‐terphenyl. We present a reprecipitation growth method that produces para‐terphenyl nanocrystals which are ideal for integration into nanophotonic devices due to their small size. We characterise the optical properties of dibenzoterrylene in nanocrystals at room and cryogenic temperatures, showing bright, narrow emission from a single molecule. Spectral data on the vibrational energies is presented and a further 25 additional molecules are characterised. This emitter‐host combination has potential for quantum technology purposes with wavelengths suitable for interfacing with quantum memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kyle D Major
- Imperial College London, Physics, UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Alex S Clark
- Imperial College London, Physics, UNITED KINGDOM
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Shkarin A, Rattenbacher D, Renger J, Hönl S, Utikal T, Seidler P, Götzinger S, Sandoghdar V. Nanoscopic Charge Fluctuations in a Gallium Phosphide Waveguide Measured by Single Molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:133602. [PMID: 33861100 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.133602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present efficient evanescent coupling of single organic molecules to a gallium phosphide (GaP) subwavelength waveguide (nanoguide) decorated with microelectrodes. By monitoring their Stark shifts, we reveal that the coupled molecules experience fluctuating electric fields. We analyze the spectral dynamics of different molecules over a large range of optical powers in the nanoguide to show that these fluctuations are light-induced and local. A simple model is developed to explain our observations based on the optical activation of charges at an estimated mean density of 2.5×10^{22} m^{-3} in the GaP nanostructure. Our work showcases the potential of organic molecules as nanoscopic sensors of the electric charge as well as the use of GaP nanostructures for integrated quantum photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Shkarin
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Renger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Hönl
- IBM Research Europe, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Utikal
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Paul Seidler
- IBM Research Europe, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Götzinger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Zirkelbach J, Gmeiner B, Renger J, Türschmann P, Utikal T, Götzinger S, Sandoghdar V. Partial Cloaking of a Gold Particle by a Single Molecule. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:103603. [PMID: 32955324 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.103603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Extinction of light by material particles stems from losses incurred by absorption or scattering. The extinction cross section is usually treated as an additive quantity, leading to the exponential laws that govern the macroscopic attenuation of light. In this Letter, we demonstrate that the extinction cross section of a large gold nanoparticle can be substantially reduced-i.e., the particle becomes more transparent-if a single molecule is placed in its near field. This partial cloaking effect results from a coherent plasmonic interaction between the molecule and the nanoparticle, whereby each of them acts as a nanoantenna to modify the radiative properties of the other.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Gmeiner
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
| | - Jan Renger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
| | - Pierre Türschmann
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
| | - Tobias Utikal
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
| | - Stephan Götzinger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
- Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen D-91052, Germany
| | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen D-91058, Germany
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Guo Y, Dong D, Shu CC. Optimal and robust control of quantum state transfer by shaping the spectral phase of ultrafast laser pulses. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:9498-9506. [PMID: 29569663 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp00512e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Achieving fast and efficient quantum state transfer is a fundamental task in physics, chemistry and quantum information science. However, the successful implementation of the perfect quantum state transfer also requires robustness under practically inevitable perturbative defects. Here, we demonstrate how an optimal and robust quantum state transfer can be achieved by shaping the spectral phase of an ultrafast laser pulse in the framework of frequency domain quantum optimal control theory. Our numerical simulations of the single dibenzoterrylene molecule as well as in atomic rubidium show that optimal and robust quantum state transfer via spectral phase modulated laser pulses can be achieved by incorporating a filtering function of the frequency into the optimization algorithm, which in turn has potential applications for ultrafast robust control of photochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Guo
- School of Physics and Electronic Science, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China and School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia and Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control (Hunan Normal University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Daoyi Dong
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Chuan-Cun Shu
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia and Institute of Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
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