Photon antibunching in the fluorescence of a single dye molecule trapped in a solid

Basché, Th.; Moerner, W. E.; Orrit, Michel; Talon, H.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.69.1516

Cited by 546 publications

(344 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…S ingle-photon emission has been observed from a variety of quantum emitters including semiconductor quantum dots [1][2][3][4] , molecules [5][6][7][8] , atoms 9 , ions 10 and colour centres in diamond [11][12][13] . Semiconductor quantum dots, in particular from III/V materials, prove to be especially fascinating tools for electrically driven single-photon generation 14 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Electrically driven photon antibunching from a single molecule at room temperature

et al. 2012

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single-photon emitters have been considered for applications in quantum information processing, quantum cryptography and metrology. For the sake of integration and to provide an electron photon interface, it is of great interest to stimulate single-photon emission by electrical excitation as demonstrated for quantum dots. Because of low exciton binding energies, it has so far not been possible to detect sub-Poissonian photon statistics of electrically driven quantum dots at room temperature. However, organic molecules possess exciton binding energies on the order of 1 eV, thereby facilitating the development of an electrically driven single-photon source at room temperature in a solid-state matrix. Here we demonstrate electroluminescence of single, electrically driven molecules at room temperature. By careful choice of the molecular emitter, as well as fabrication of a specially designed organic lightemitting diode structure, we were able to achieve stable single-molecule emission and detect sub-Poissonian photon statistics.

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confidence: 99%

Electrically driven photon antibunching from a single molecule at room temperature

et al. 2012

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“…The work culminated with the first observation of the vacuum Rabi splitting of an atom in the optical domain -basis for a number of applications of quantum logic of single atoms or photons. Here also the demonstrations by Moerner and Orrit of absorption and fluorescence of single molecules trapped in a solid matrix should be mentioned as they led to the also important discovery of antibunching of emitted photons (Basché et al 1992). Franson (1989) and Kwiat et al (1993) have in two-photon interference experiments shown sinusoidal fringes with 80% visibility, such as predicted by QM, violating Bell inequality by 16 standard deviations.…”

Section: The 'Interaction Hypothesis'mentioning

confidence: 95%

Quantum entanglement: facts and fiction – how wrong was Einstein after all?

Nordén

2016

Quart. Rev. Biophys.

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Abstract. Einstein was wrong with his 1927 Solvay Conference claim that quantum mechanics is incomplete and incapable of describing diffraction of single particles. However, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox of entangled pairs of particles remains lurking with its 'spooky action at a distance'. In molecules quantum entanglement can be viewed as basis of both chemical bonding and excitonic states. The latter are important in many biophysical contexts and involve coupling between subsystems in which virtual excitations lead to eigenstates of the total Hamiltonian, but not for the separate subsystems. The author questions whether atomic or photonic systems may be probed to prove that particles or photons may stay entangled over large distances and display the immediate communication with each other that so concerned Einstein. A dissociating hydrogen molecule is taken as a model of a zero-spin entangled system whose angular momenta are in principle possible to probe for this purpose. In practice, however, spins randomize as a result of interactions with surrounding fields and matter. Similarly, no experiment seems yet to provide unambiguous evidence of remaining entanglement between single photons at large separations in absence of mutual interaction, or about immediate (superluminal) communication. This forces us to reflect again on what Einstein really had in mind with the paradox, viz. a probabilistic interpretation of a wave function for an ensemble of identically prepared states, rather than as a statement about single particles. Such a prepared state of many particles would lack properties of quantum entanglement that make it so special, including the uncertainty upon which safe quantum communication is assumed to rest. An example is Zewail's experiment showing visible resonance in the dissociation of a coherently vibrating ensemble of NaI molecules apparently violating the uncertainty principle. Einstein was wrong about diffracting single photons where space-like anti-bunching observations have proven recently their non-local character and how observation in one point can remotely affect the outcome in other points. By contrast, long range photon entanglement with immediate, superluminal response is still an elusive, possibly partly misunderstood issue. The author proposes that photons may entangle over large distances only if some interaction exists via fields that cannot propagate faster than the speed of light. An experiment to settle this 'interaction hypothesis' is suggested.In 1935, Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) presented a paradox, which seemed to imply a fundamental discrepancy between quantum and classical mechanics and which they meant proves that the former is not a 'complete theory' . Einstein (1936) elaborated on the theme with a more nuanced description later, in what sense he considers quantum mechanics (QM) incomplete. His concern that it is the way QM is applied to singular particulate systems rather than whether it is a correct theory, was my inspiration for revisiting these grounds a...

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“…In the case of low temperature experiments, reviewed in Ref. [1], inhomogeneous broadening makes background reduction possible through spectral selection, so some of the earliest single stationary fluorophore experiments were done at low temperatures [74][75][76][77].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homebuilt single-molecule scanning confocal fluorescence microscope studies of single DNA/protein interactions

Zheng¹,

Goldner²,

Leuba³

2007

Methods

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Many technical improvements in fluorescence microscopy over the years have focused on decreasing background and increasing the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The scanning confocal fluorescence microscope (SCFM) represented a major improvement in these efforts. The SCFM acquires signal from a thin layer of a thick sample, rejecting light whose origin is not in the focal plane thereby dramatically decreasing the background signal. A second major innovation was the advent of high quantum-yield, low noise, single-photon counting detectors. The superior background rejection of SCFM combined with low-noise, high-yield detectors makes it possible to detect the fluorescence from single dye molecules. By labeling a DNA molecule or a DNA/protein complex with a donor/ acceptor dye pair, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can be used to track conformational changes in the molecule/complex itself, on a single molecule/complex basis. In this methods paper, we describe the core concepts of SCFM in the context of a study that uses FRET to reveal conformational fluctuations in individual Holliday junction DNA molecules and nucleosomal particles. We also discuss data processing methods for SCFM.

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Photon antibunching in the fluorescence of a single dye molecule trapped in a solid

Cited by 546 publications

References 16 publications

Electrically driven photon antibunching from a single molecule at room temperature

Electrically driven photon antibunching from a single molecule at room temperature

Quantum entanglement: facts and fiction – how wrong was Einstein after all?

Homebuilt single-molecule scanning confocal fluorescence microscope studies of single DNA/protein interactions

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