Stable Single‐Molecule Lines of Terrylene in Polycrystalline para‐Dichlorobenzene at 1.5 K. Issue 14 (8th August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Navarro, Pedro; Tian, Yuxi; van Stee, Marijn; Orrit, Michel
• Is Part Of: Chemphyschem. Volume 15:Issue 14(2014)
• Page Start: 3032
• Page End: 3039
• Publication Date: 2014-08-08
• Subjects: Chemistry, Physical and theoretical -- Periodicals; 541.05
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201402200
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1439-4235

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The spectroscopic properties of single terrylene (Tr) molecules are studied in a polycrystalline matrix of <italic>para</italic>‐dichlorobenzene (<italic>p</italic>‐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<sup>−1</sup> from the observed transition energy for Tr in <italic>p</italic>‐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<sup>4</sup> count s<sup>−1</sup> 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 <italic>α</italic><sub>DW</sub><italic>=</italic>0.33±0.05 for the normal site (572 nm) and <italic>α</italic><sub>DW</sub><italic>=</italic>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.</p> </abstract>