Visualizing Quantum Coherence Based on Single-Molecule Coherent Modulation Microscopy

Massive magical phenomena in nature
are closely related to quantum
effects at the microscopic scale. However, the lack of straightforward
methods to observe the quantum coherent dynamics in integrated biological
systems limits the study of essential biological mechanisms. In this
work, we developed a single-molecule coherent modulation (SMCM) microscopy
by combining the superior features of single-molecule microscopy with
ultrafast spectroscopy. By introducing the modem technology and defining
the coherent visibility, we realized visualization and real-time observation
of the decoherence process of a single molecule influenced by the
microenvironment for the first time. In particular, we applied this
technique to observe the quantum coherent properties of the entire
chlorella cells and found the correlation between the coherent visibility
and metabolic activities, which may have potential applications in
molecular diagnostics and precision medicine.