Stephan Heucke

Spatial isolation of the investigated molecules is a prerequisite of optical single-molecule experiments. Commonly this is done with dilution. With dilution, however, it is impossible to position the single-molecules relative to objects or secondary molecules whose influence might be of scientific interest. A novel bottom-up assembly method is Single-Molecule Cut-and-Paste (SMCP). Here single molecules are picked up from a depot and positioned in a previously empty target area with an AFM tip and the help of differentially coupled force anchors. Thus SMCP provides the ability to isolate single-molecules at designated positions with nanometer precision.