Quantum Coherent Modulation-Enhanced Single-Molecule Imaging Microscopy

In fluorescence imaging and detection, undesired fluorescence interference (such as autofluorescence) often hampers the contrast of the image and even prevents the identification of structures of interest. Here, we develop a quantum coherent modulation-enhanced (QCME) single-molecule imaging microscopy (SMIM) to substantially eliminate the strong fluorescence interference, based on manipulation of the excited-state population probability of a single molecule. By periodically modulating the phase difference between the ultrashort pulse pairs and performing a discrete Fourier transform of the arrival time of emitted photons, the decimation of single molecules from strong interference in QCME-SMIM has been clearly determined, where the signal-to-interference ratio is enhanced by more than 2 orders of magnitude. This technique, confirmed to be universal to organic dyes and linked with biomacromolecules, paves the way to high-contrast bioimaging under unfavorable conditions.