PhD Candidate in Atomic-scale Control of Single-molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Updated: almost 2 years ago
Deadline: 22 May 2022

With leading research into fundamental physics, we can answer important questions about the world of today and tomorrow. This requires curious individuals who want to push the experimental boundaries of science with their talent and expertise. As a PhD Candidate at the Scanning Probe Microscopy department, you get to explore the future of nanoelectronics with our state-of-the-art facilities. 

The goal of this PhD project is to investigate how single-molecule fluorescence is altered by local electric field, and how this can be utilised towards an atomic-scale charge probe. In optical spectroscopy, the Stark effect is a well-known response of a molecule exposed to electric fields. The Stark effect also occurs at the nanoscale, where it is less well understood due to lack of atomic-scale control of the local environment. This project will make use of a combination of molecular beam epitaxy, single-molecule/atom deposition and atomic manipulation techniques to create a fully atomic-scale controlled experiment where individual charges exert an electric field on a single molecule. The main tools of investigation will be low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), as well as STM-induced light emission (STM-LE).

You are a motivated and open-minded candidate who will investigate the submolecularly resolved Stark effect for various molecules. You will grow ultrathin films of insulating materials on various metal substrates using MBE techniques, followed by low-temperature deposition of single atoms and molecules. You will build a nanoscopic experiment by manipulating atoms and molecules in well-defined geometries and study the electronic and optical responses using STS and STM-LE.

You will not only push the state of knowledge of the Stark effect into the quantum regime, but you will eventually be able to apply this towards realising a novel kind of nanoscopic charge probe. You will join a young and innovative team of experienced researchers and technicians and work with cutting-edge UHV-based cryogenic SPM facilities, and you will enjoy hands-on experience in carrying out the experiments, both independently and in a team. Your teaching load may be up to 10% of your appointment.

For more information on the topics within this PhD project, you can read the following articles:
D. Wegner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 087205 (2009).
B. Kiraly et al., Nat. Commun. 9, 3904 (2018).
T.-C. Hung et al., Nano Lett. 21, 5006 (2021).



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