Drilling down to molecules’ atoms gives unprecedented glimpse of vibrations

Chemists can already identify molecules using their interactions with electromagnetic radiation. Working out what is happening inside the molecules in response to radiation is much trickier, however. But now researchers in the US have used an atomic-scale metallic tip to focus light down to sub-atomic scales, and thereby to directly measure vibrations within single molecules. The research could potentially guide chemistry from catalyst design to superconductivity.