Single-molecule spectromicroscopy: the door into sub-diffraction refractometry

الأصل · EN

We suggest a novel approach for probing of local fluctuations of the refractive index n in solids by means of single-molecule (SM) spectroscopy. It is based on the dependence T₁(n) of the effective radiative lifetime T₁ of dye centres in solids on n due to the local field effects. Detection of SM zero-phonon lines at ultra-low temperatures gives the values of SM natural spectral linewidth (which is inverse proportional to T₁) and makes it possible to reveal the distribution of the local n values in solids. Here we demonstrate this possibility on the example of amorphous polyethylene and polycrystalline naphthalene doped with terrylene.