The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship enhances the creative and innovative potential of excellent researchers holding a PhD. It aims to encourage researchers to work on research and innovation projects in both academic and non-academic sectors. It is open to international researchers wishing to continue their research in Europe. MPL junior scientist Ashley Shin won the physics category with her project ›Atomically-precise control of Strong Coupling In Molecular dimERs (SCIMER)‹. With the prestigious MSCA Fellowship, she will now receive two years of funding worth 200k euros as part of the EU’s ›Horizon Europe‹ innovation program.

Since the first observation of single molecule absorption by Nobel Prize winner Prof. W. E. Moerner, the emission of single molecules embedded in crystalline matrices has been of great importance to quantum optics, for example for single photon generation. So-called single-photon emitters serve as important quantum sources. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have proven to be robust and efficient single-photon sources. When two of these PAH molecules interact in a coherent manner, the resulting dimers can emit two photons within short intervals. These bimolecular quantum states have enhanced radiative rates. In order to form such strongly coupled dimers the individual molecules must first be brought into the correct spatial configurations, which can be done by synthesis. The rational synthesis of these dimers is a novel field which can have an impact on quantum optics. The SCIMER project aims to demonstrate the strong dipole-dipole coupling of molecular dimers. In the long term, the fellow would like to establish rationally synthesized molecules as a reliable resource for quantum optics.

Ashley Shin will lead the interdisciplinary project and collaborate with scientists from the field of organic chemistry. In addition to her expertise in optical spectroscopy and physical chemistry, the fellow will benefit from the experience of her Max Planck colleagues in the Nano-Optics Division in advanced single-molecule spectroscopy. She will work on this project with Prof. Stephan Goetzinger, Siwei Luo, Tim Hebenstreit, and Dinesh D. Reddy.