Single molecule spectroscopy: Spontaneous and light-induced frequency jumps

Abstract

This paper reports on frequency jumps of single molecule excitation lines. The first part deals with spontaneous spectral jumps (spectral diffusion) and gives examples of what can be learned from investigations of spectral diffusion about the low temperature physics of amorphous solids. The second part of this article discusses light-induced frequency jumps in the crystalline system terrylene in p-terphenyl where reversible single molecule hole-burning allows the optical manipulation of single absorbers in a remarkably controlled and reproducible fashion. Furthermore we demonstrate how this system permits investigations of one and the same chromophore over a period of a few weeks at least.