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Imaging excited state dynamics with sub-nanometer resolution

Gruebele Techniques such as cryo-electronmicroscopy can be used to determine the shape of the ground state of large molecules and nanostructures. In this talk, I will discuss recent advances to obtain sub-nanometer spatial resolution images of excited states by using laser-assisted STM. We can visualize exciton localization in carbon nanotubes, image the effect of defects on orbital shape in quantum dots, and visualize energy and charge transfer. 3-D information about excited states of individual quantum dots can be obtained by rolling them on a substrate.  In addition, we can use the STM to take movies of cooperative glass regions (glassy nanoclusters) hopping on glass surfaces such as SiO2, amorphous silicon, or metallic glasses. It is now possible to map out the energy landscapes for the cooperative nanoscale motion on glasses.