Scientists have long used radio waves to uncover the molecular “fingerprints” of unknown materials. These methods rely on signals averaged from trillions of atoms, making it impossible to detect tiny variations between individual molecules. Such limitations hinder applications in fields like protein research, where small differences in shape control functionality and can determine the difference between health and disease.
Now, engineers at Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science have utilized quantum sensors to realize a groundbreaking variation of nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, a technique traditionally used to detect drugs and explosives or analyze pharmaceuticals.
Described in Nano Letters, the new method is so precise that it can detect the NQR signals from individual atoms—a feat once thought unattainable. This unprecedented sensitivity opens the door to breakthroughs in fields like drug development, where understanding molecular interactions at the atomic level is critical.
“This technique allows us to isolate individual nuclei and reveal tiny differences in what were thought to be identical molecules,” says Lee Bassett, associate professor in electrical and systems engineering, director of Penn’s Quantum Engineering Laboratory, and the paper’s senior author. “By focusing on a single nucleus, we can uncover details about molecular structure and dynamics that were previously hidden. This capability allows us to study the building blocks of the natural world at an entirely new scale.”
Read more at Penn Engineering Today.
