At a Glance
- Scientists used an X-ray free-electron laser to directly observe the constant quantum motion of atoms in a complex molecule, a phenomenon stemming from zero-point energy.
- The study on the 11-atom molecule 2-iodopyridine revealed that atoms do not vibrate randomly but move in collective, synchronized patterns, confirming a key prediction of quantum mechanics.
- A sophisticated technique called Coulomb Explosion Imaging was employed, which uses intense X-ray pulses to shatter a molecule and reconstruct its original atomic structure from the fragments.
- A custom-built COLTRIMS reaction microscope enabled this landmark experiment, a specialized device developed at Goethe University and installed at the European XFEL facility in Hamburg.
- The successful method establishes a new approach to studying complex molecular dynamics, paving the way for creating high-speed “films” of chemical reactions as they occur.
For the first time, scientists have directly observed the faint, coordinated “dance” of atoms within a complex molecule, a constant quiver of motion that persists even at absolute zero. This phenomenon, known as zero-point motion, is a direct consequence of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, a fundamental tenet of quantum mechanics that states one cannot simultaneously know a particle’s exact position and momentum. The groundbreaking work, detailed in the journal Science, captures the collective nature of these quantum fluctuations in an 11-atom molecule, providing an unprecedented insight into the fundamental behavior of matter.
To capture this fleeting choreography, an international team led by researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt used a powerful technique called Coulomb Explosion Imaging at the European XFEL, the world’s largest X-ray laser. The method involves striking individual 2-iodopyridine molecules with an ultrashort, high-intensity X-ray pulse. This pulse instantly strips away many of the molecule’s electrons, causing the now positively charged atomic nuclei to repel each other and fly apart violently. By precisely measuring the trajectories of these fragments with a specialized detector, the team could reconstruct the molecule’s exact structure at the moment of the blast.
“The exciting thing about our work is that we were able to see that the atoms don’t just vibrate individually, but that they vibrate in a coupled manner, following fixed patterns,” said Till Jahnke, a professor at Goethe University’s Institute for Nuclear Physics, in a university press release. This collective behavior, described by physicists as vibrational modes, was measured in individual molecules in their lowest possible energy state. “This zero-point motion is a purely quantum mechanical phenomenon that cannot be explained classically,” Jahnke explained.
These findings not only confirm a long-held theory but also establish a powerful new method for studying high-dimensional structural dynamics. The team’s custom-built COLTRIMS reaction microscope proved essential for the experiment’s success. Researchers now aim to use this approach to create “short films” of molecular processes, which could one day enable them to observe chemical reactions unfolding in real time. This advancement opens a new window into observing the intricate and rapid dance of both atoms and the electrons that bind them together.
References
- Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. (2025, August 7). Direct visualization of quantum zero-point motion in complex molecule reveals eternal dance of atoms. Phys.Org; Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-visualization-quantum-motion-complex-molecule.html
- Richard, B., Boll, R., Banerjee, S., Schäfer, J. M., Jurek, Z., Kastirke, G., Fehre, K., Schöffler, M. S., Anders, N., Baumann, T. M., Eckart, S., Erk, B., De Fanis, A., Dörner, R., Grundmann, S., Grychtol, P., Hofmann, M., Ilchen, M., Kircher, M., … Jahnke, T. (2025). Imaging collective quantum fluctuations of the structure of a complex molecule. Science, 389(6760), 650–654. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adu2637
