Molecules to Mix with Light tagged posts

Mixing light with dye molecules, trapped in golden gaps. Credit: Yi Ju/University of Cambridge NanoPhotonics

Researchers have successfully used quantum states to mix a molecule with light at room temperature, which will aid in the exploration of quantum technologies and provide new ways to manipulate the physical and chemical properties of matter, aid in understanding photosynthesis mechanisms, or manipulate chemical bonds between atoms.

When a molecule emits a blink of light, it doesn’t expect it to ever come back. However researchers have now managed to place single molecules in such a tiny optical cavity that emitted photons, return to the molecule before they have properly left. The energy oscillates between light and molecule, resulting in a complete mixing...