Abstract
A scanning tunneling microscope is used to study the fluorescence of a model charged molecule (quinacridone) adsorbed on a sodium chloride (NaCl)-covered metallic sample. Fluorescence from the neutral and positively charged species is reported and imaged using hyperresolved fluorescence microscopy. A many-body model is established based on a detailed analysis of voltage, current, and spatial dependences of the fluorescence and electron transport features. This model reveals that quinacridone adopts a palette of charge states, transient or not, depending on the voltage used and the nature of the underlying substrate. This model has a universal character and clarifies the transport and fluorescence mechanisms of molecules adsorbed on thin insulators.
- Received 7 October 2022
- Accepted 30 January 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.126202
© 2023 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
synopsis
Deciphering Single-Molecule Fluorescence
Published 21 March 2023
Spatial maps of the light emitted by an excited molecule reveal how the emission depends on the molecule’s charge states.
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