Molecular optomechanics in Science!

Our research paper on the beautiful experiment conducted by Jeremy Baumberg’s group in Cambridge University, which uses the novel theoretical formalism proposed by the group of Tobias Kippenberg (“Molecular cavity optomechanics as a theory of plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering”, Nature Nanotech. 11, 164 (2016)) and explored later by our group from San Sebastian (“Quantum mechanical description of Raman scattering from molecules in plasmonic cavities”, ACS Nano 10, 6291 (2016)), was just published in Science (“Single-molecule optomechanics in <<picocavities>>”, Science Vol. 354, Issue 6313, pp. 726-729 (2016))!

The experimental results are pretty stunning and indicate a new, somewhat peculiar mechanism in which single atoms of gold can move around metallic nanostructures to give our vibrational spectroscopy a boost. In this press release, these wandering atoms are called “world’s tiniest magnifying glass”. Seems right!

As with any research like that, there’s a lot of room for follow-up work, quite a few speculative arguments and some problems which we openly list and discuss, left to solve. Let’s see if we can stir up the research field a little!

UPDATE: There’s polish version of the press release prepared by Polska Agencja Prasowa PAP.