Stable Single‐Molecule Lines of Terrylene in Polycrystalline para‐Dichlorobenzene at 1.5 K |
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Authors: | Pedro Navarro Dr. Yuxi Tian Marijn van Stee Prof. Michel Orrit |
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Affiliation: | MoNOS, Huygens‐Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, University of Leiden, 2300 RA Leiden (The Netherlands) |
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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 8×104 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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Keywords: | fluorescence spectroscopy host– guest systems polycrystalline solids single‐molecule studies spectral diffusion |
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