Rodrigo Cezar de Campos Ferreira, Amandeep Sagwal, Jiří Doležal, Tomáš Neuman, Martin Švec
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Molecular radicals are efficient electroluminescent emitters due to the spin multiplicity of their electronic states. The excited states often exhibit a complex composition with multiple significant electronic configurations, which are essential for their optoelectronic properties but difficult to probe directly. Here we use light-scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate such an excited state by visualizing the response of a single radical molecule to a laser excitation. We observe characteristic atomic-scale spatial photocurrent patterns that can be tuned by applied bias voltage. We interpret these patterns as resulting from decay of an excited doublet state through sequential electron transfers with the tip and the substrate. The relative contributions of two dominating electronic configurations involved in this excited state are tuned by the applied voltage. This approach thus allows for disentangling the components of multiconfigurational excited states in single molecules.
期刊介绍:
Nature Communications, an open-access journal, publishes high-quality research spanning all areas of the natural sciences. Papers featured in the journal showcase significant advances relevant to specialists in each respective field. With a 2-year impact factor of 16.6 (2022) and a median time of 8 days from submission to the first editorial decision, Nature Communications is committed to rapid dissemination of research findings. As a multidisciplinary journal, it welcomes contributions from biological, health, physical, chemical, Earth, social, mathematical, applied, and engineering sciences, aiming to highlight important breakthroughs within each domain.