SINGLE MOLECULES OBSERVED BY IMMERSION MIRROR OBJECTIVE - THE ORIENTATION OF TERRYLENE MOLECULES VIA THE DIRECTION OF ITS TRANSITION DIPOLE-MOMENT

Fluorescence from single molecules of terrylene in a Shpol'skii matrix (n-hexadecane or n-dodecane) was detected with an immersion mirror ob jective. An analysis of fluorescence intensity distribution outside th e image plane has been performed according to a method presented earli er (preceding Letter). Spatial orientations of a long molecular axis f or several individual terrylene molecules have been found. One of the angles from the pair describing spatial orientation was found to match the value available from routine polarisation experiments. (C) 1997 E lsevier Science B.V.