Sharp zero-phonon lines of single organic molecules on a hexagonal boron-nitride surface

Robert Smit, Arash Tebyani, Jil Hameury, Sense Jan van der Molen and Michel Orrit ()
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Robert Smit: Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION
Arash Tebyani: Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION
Jil Hameury: Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION
Sense Jan van der Molen: Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION
Michel Orrit: Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Single fluorescent molecules embedded in the bulk of host crystals have proven to be sensitive probes of the dynamics in their nano environment, thanks to their narrow (about 30–50 MHz or 0.1–0.2 μeV) optical linewidth of the 0-0 zero-phonon line (0-0 ZPL) at cryogenic temperatures. However, the optical linewidths of the 0-0 ZPL have been found to increase dramatically as the single molecules are located closer to a surface or interface, while no 0-0 ZPL has been detected for single molecules on any surface. Here we study single terrylene molecules adsorbed on the surface of hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN) substrates. Our low-temperature results show that it is possible to observe the 0-0 ZPL of fluorescent molecules on a surface. We compare our results for molecules deposited on the surfaces of annealed and non-annealed hBN flakes and we see a marked improvement in the spectral stability of the emitters after annealing.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42865-4

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