Hindered Rotational Diffusion and Rotational Jumps of Single Molecules

T. Ha; J. Glass; Th. Enderle; D. S. Chemla; S. Weiss

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.2093

Hindered Rotational Diffusion and Rotational Jumps of Single Molecules

T. Ha, J. Glass, Th. Enderle, D. S. Chemla, and S. Weiss

Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2093 – Published 9 March 1998

Abstract

We extended the sensitivity of fluorescence polarization anisotropy measurements to the single molecule level by studying the polarization response of single fluorophores rapidly rotating in liquid. Comparison with a simple model calculation allows us to obtain information on the hindered motion as well as on the rotational diffusion in the presence of specific molecular interactions. We also observed rotational jumps between surface-bound and unbound states and show that they are, similar to jumps to long dark states, photoactivated.

Received 19 September 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.2093

Authors & Affiliations

T. Ha¹, J. Glass^1,2, Th. Enderle^1,*, D. S. Chemla^1,2, and S. Weiss¹

¹Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720
²Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720