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Rebecca Boll at the COLTRIMS (REMI) reaction microscope of SQS instrument of European XFEL, where the experiment was carried out. Credit-European XFEL.<\/p>\nAtoms never stay still. Even in their lowest energy state, they vibrate due to quantum effects. <\/p>\n
Now, for the first time, scientists have directly observed this jittery movement in a complex molecule\u2014just moments before it exploded into fragments under a powerful X-ray beam.<\/p>\n
At the European XFEL near Hamburg, researchers used high-intensity, ultrashort X-ray pulses to hit a molecule called 2-iodopyridine.<\/p>\n
The energy stripped away electrons and transformed the molecule into a highly charged system that immediately repelled itself and shattered. <\/p>\n
By tracking the ejected fragments, the scientists were able to reconstruct the shape and internal movement of the molecule at the exact instant of breakup.<\/p>\n
Zero-point motion mapped in 3D<\/p>\n
\u201cThe molecule is not rigid, but in constant motion due to quantum fluctuations,\u201d said Markus Ilchen, a lead author of the study. \u201cWe were able to image this motion by blowing the molecule apart and analysing the fragments\u2019 directions.\u201d<\/p>\n
To do this, the researchers used a reaction microscope known as COLTRIMS, which can track charged particles at femtosecond timescales\u2014one quadrillionth of a second. <\/p>\n
The device records multiple fragments simultaneously and helps generate a full three-dimensional map of the molecular structure right before disintegration.<\/p>\n
The team noticed that the fragments did not fly apart in directions that matched the expected flat geometry of the molecule. Instead, they showed signs of subtle distortion\u2014signs of movement frozen in time.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Boll at the COLTRIMS (REMI) reaction microscope of SQS instrument of European XFEL, where the experiment was carried out. Credit-European XFEL.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking at the quantum zero-point motion, which is always present even at absolute zero temperature,\u201d said Till Jahnke, senior scientist at European XFEL. \u201cIt is the smallest possible motion a system can have.\u201d<\/p>\n
This movement was not random. It showed a coordinated trembling of atoms\u2014typical of coherent quantum motion rather than thermal vibrations. \u201cThis motion is not random but coordinated, which is characteristic of quantum mechanics,\u201d said Stefan Pabst from DESY, who led the theoretical modeling for the experiment.<\/p>\n
Classical models fall short<\/p>\n
To verify what they saw, the researchers compared their results with computer simulations. <\/p>\n
Classical physics alone could not reproduce the observations. Only when quantum effects were included did the models align with the experimental data.<\/p>\n
Because not all fragments could be measured in each event, the team relied on a statistical method that allowed them to reconstruct the full molecular<\/a> geometry and motion from partial data.<\/p>\n This technique made it possible to capture a complete and accurate picture of what was happening inside the molecule at the moment of breakup.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a major breakthrough in molecular imaging,\u201d said Arnaud Rouz\u00e9e from the Max Born Institute. \u201cWe can now observe quantum motion in complex molecules in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n The experiment helps deepen the understanding of how matter behaves at quantum<\/a> scales and could inform future research in chemistry, physics, and quantum modeling.<\/p>\n \u201cQuantum mechanics governs the fundamental behavior of matter,\u201d said Pabst. \u201cSeeing its fingerprints in such a direct way is both exciting and essential for advancing science.\u201d<\/p>\n