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Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Single-Molecule Phosphorescence and Intersystem Crossing in a Coupled Exciton Plasmon System
Abhishek Grewal1, Hiroshi Imada2, Kuniyuki Miwa3
1Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, Stuttgart 70569, Germany.
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Scanning the sharp metal tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) over a molecule allows for tuning the coupling between the tip plasmon and a molecular fluorescence emitter. This allows access to local variations in fluorescence field enhancement and wavelength shifts, which are central parameters for characterizing the plasmon-exciton coupling. Performing the same for phosphorescence with molecular-scale resolution remains a significant challenge. In this study, we present the investigation of phosphorescence from isolated Pt-Phthalocyanine molecules by analyzing tip-enhanced emission spectra in both current-induced and laser-induced phosphorescence. The latter directly monitors singlet-to-triplet state intersystem crossing of a molecule below the tip. The study contributes to a detailed understanding of triplet excitation pathways and their potential control at submolecular length scales. Additionally, the coupling of organic phosphors to plasmonic structures is a promising route for improving light-emitting diodes.
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