Quantum mechanics has long challenged the familiar idea that an object must occupy one precise place at a given moment. Fundamental particles such as electrons are instead described by a "wavefunction," a mathematical representation that researchers can use to calculate the probabilities of properties such as position and momentum.
Inside molecules, electron wavefunctions are known as "molecular orbitals." These orbitals contain valuable information about how a molecule behaves and interacts with its environment, including how it absorbs light and how chemical reactions may unfold. Obtaining a complete three-dimensional picture of a wavefunction would therefore give scientists a powerful view of molecular behavior, but producing such an image has been extremely difficult.
Now, an interdisciplinary team at the University of Göttingen has successfully imaged the three-dimensional wavefunction of an organic molecule only nanometers in size. The researchers accomplished this by combining advanced photoelectron spectroscopy with sophisticated mathematical algorithms. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.
Reconstructing an Elusive Quantum Wavefunction
"The wavefunction is a fundamental quantity in quantum mechanics, yet it cannot be directly observed or measured," explains Professor Stefan Mathias at the University of Göttingen.
