Surface science
We use an STM in combination with optical techniques to study the dynamics of single atoms, molecules and hot charge carriers.
The aim of this project is to establish coupled measurement of light emission and atomic manipulation, enhanced with spectroscopic and single-photon correlation capabilities. When a target molecule is excited by the tip of an STM, the ensuing dynamics are governed by quantum mechanics and the reaction outcome is, in all but the most restricted cases, probabilistic rather than deterministic. We aim to tackle this challenge by using an STM to characterise individual chemical reactions, understand why different outcomes occur, and eventually cause entirely new reactions to happen. Combining our state-of-the-art autmation with the recent advances in energy-resolved photon emission from STM, we aim to create a technology to characterise, decouple and, for the first time, control the quantum mechanical nature of single molecule reactions on a silicon surface, leading to programmable reaction outcomes. Such atomic-scale control of the outcome of chemical reactions holds the key to developing new molecular architectures that are not based on naturally occurring reactions and may create a new route to green chemistry.
Selected publications
Sloan and Rusimova, Nanoscale Advances, 4, 4880-4885 (2022)
Purkiss, et al. Journal of Physics Communications, 3, 095010 (2019)
Rusimova, et al. Science, 361, 6406 (2018)
Rusimova, et al. Nature Communications, 7, 12839 (2016)
Funding
K. R. Rusimova, The Royal Society, £70k (2023-2024)
K. R. Rusimova, EPSRC, £590k (2024-2026)