Sub-nanometre control of the coherent interaction between a single molecule and a plasmonic nanocavity

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15225
• Publication Date: 2017-05-19T12:43:43Z
• Authors: Yao Zhang; Qiu-Shi Meng; Li Zhang; Yang Luo; Yun-Jie Yu; Ben Yang; Yang Zhang; Ruben Esteban; Javier Aizpurua; Yi Luo; Jin-Long Yang; Zhen-Chao Dong; J G Hou
• Keywords: Coherent control; Nanometre; Fano resonance

Abstract The coherent interaction between quantum emitters and photonic modes in cavities underlies many of the current strategies aiming at generating controlling states. A plasmonic nanocavity provides a powerful solution for reducing effective mode volumes down to nanometre scale, but spatial control atomic scale coupling with single molecular emitter is challenging. Here we demonstrate sub-nanometre over molecule close proximity by monitoring evolution Fano lineshapes Lamb shifts tunnelling electron-induced luminescence spectra. dips allows determination distance ∼1 nm, strengths reaching ∼15 meV giant self-interaction induced shift up ∼3 meV. These results open new pathways interference field–matter nanoscale.