Magnetic resonance of a single molecular spin

THE introduction of optical detection methods for observing magnetic resonance transitions in metastable paramagnetic states1-4 has contributed enormously to our understanding of the properties of photoexcited molecules in condensed phases. In such experiments the luminescence intensity is recorded as a function of the frequency of an applied microwave field. At resonance with transitions between sublevels of a metastable paramagnetic state, the lifetime of the metastable state is altered and a consequent change in the luminescence intensity is observed. Here we report the observation of such optically detected magnetic resonance transitions for the triplet state of a single pentacene molecule embedded in a p-terphenyl host crystal. This result has been obtained by combining the conventional optical detection technique for observing magnetic resonance transitions1-4 with the new single-molecule optical detection methods developed recently5,6. This observation opens the way for magnetic resonance studies in condensed phases with single-molecule sensitivity. © 1993 Nature Publishing Group.