Fluorescence and Phosphorescence from IndividualC60Molecules Excited by Local Electron Tunneling

Abstract

Using the highly localized current of electrons tunneling through a double barrier scanning tunneling microscope junction, we excite luminescence from a selected ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule in the surface layer of fullerene nanocrystals grown on an ultrathin NaCl film on Au(111). In the observed fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra, pure electronic as well as vibronically induced transitions of an individual ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule are identified, leading to unambiguous chemical recognition on the single-molecular scale.