Real Space Rotational Spectroscopy: Measurement of the Rotational Excitation of a Single Molecule by the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

ORAL

Abstract

The power of rotational transition spectra has long been demonstrated in the frequency domain by microwave spectroscopy, but its application in real space is limited. Using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS), we are able to conduct real-space measurements of rotational transitions of gaseous hydrogen molecules physisorbed on Au(110) surface. By varying the tip-substrate distance, we could precisely investigate how the environmental coupling modifies the structure of a single molecule with sub-Angstrom resolution. Rotational spectroscopy at the single molecule level provides a powerful tool for chemical identification as well as bond length measurement in both frequency and space domains.

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Authors

  • Shaowei Li

    University of California, Irvine

  • Nilgun Sungar

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Irvine, California State University, Fresno, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, Seogang University, Pohang University of Science \& Technology, UC Santa Cruz, Trinity College, Hartford, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CSU Long Beach, Physics/Hokkaido University, Japan, Physics/University of California, San Deigo, Physics/California State University, Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, University of California, Santa Barbara, Instituted of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, SpaceX, Northrop-Grumman, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Department of Physics, University of California at Davis, Davis 95616, United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Chemistry/California State University Fresno, Physics/California State University Fresno, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Merced, UC Merced, Stanford University, New Economic School, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Chair of the Physics Department

  • Nilgun Sungar

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Irvine, California State University, Fresno, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, Seogang University, Pohang University of Science \& Technology, UC Santa Cruz, Trinity College, Hartford, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CSU Long Beach, Physics/Hokkaido University, Japan, Physics/University of California, San Deigo, Physics/California State University, Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, University of California, Santa Barbara, Instituted of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, SpaceX, Northrop-Grumman, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Department of Physics, University of California at Davis, Davis 95616, United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Chemistry/California State University Fresno, Physics/California State University Fresno, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Merced, UC Merced, Stanford University, New Economic School, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Chair of the Physics Department

  • Nilgun Sungar

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Irvine, California State University, Fresno, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, Seogang University, Pohang University of Science \& Technology, UC Santa Cruz, Trinity College, Hartford, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CSU Long Beach, Physics/Hokkaido University, Japan, Physics/University of California, San Deigo, Physics/California State University, Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, University of California, Santa Barbara, Instituted of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, SpaceX, Northrop-Grumman, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Department of Physics, University of California at Davis, Davis 95616, United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Chemistry/California State University Fresno, Physics/California State University Fresno, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Merced, UC Merced, Stanford University, New Economic School, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Chair of the Physics Department

  • Nilgun Sungar

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Irvine, California State University, Fresno, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, Seogang University, Pohang University of Science \& Technology, UC Santa Cruz, Trinity College, Hartford, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CSU Long Beach, Physics/Hokkaido University, Japan, Physics/University of California, San Deigo, Physics/California State University, Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, University of California, Santa Barbara, Instituted of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, SpaceX, Northrop-Grumman, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Department of Physics, University of California at Davis, Davis 95616, United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Chemistry/California State University Fresno, Physics/California State University Fresno, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Merced, UC Merced, Stanford University, New Economic School, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Chair of the Physics Department