A closer look
Staring at a single molecule used to be physically impossible due to the diffraction limit of light, but gold handles the impossible just fine. By placing two gold nanoparticles mere nanometers apart, scientists create a 'plasmonic nanocavity.' When laser light hits this microscopic gap, the electrons on the gold's surface oscillate wildly, squeezing the light waves down to a volume billions of times smaller than a red blood cell. This insanely intense, trapped light acts as a magnifying glass, illuminating a solitary molecule's chemical bonds in real-time.
