Molecules on a surface hit the ultimate quantum coherence limit

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light achieved the Fourier limit of optical coherence for individual molecules attached to a surface. A crystal cleaned by sublimation in vacuum and cooled to a few kelvin kept the molecules' quantum properties intact. The findings were published in Science.

• The crystal was cleaned by sublimating its top layers in vacuum, then cooled to a few kelvin
• Molecules on the clean surface consistently reached the Fourier coherence limit
• The surface affects molecule orientation and energy levels
• Next, the team plans to combine the method with AFM and STM for nanometer control