Photon antibunching in the fluorescence of a single dye molecule trapped in a solid

The correlation between fluorescence photons emitted by an optically pumped single molecule of pentacene in a p-terphenyl host has been investigated at short times. The correlation function shows photon antibunching, a unique feature of a nonclassical radiation field, which decreases if two molecules rather than one are pumped at the same time. The peculiarities of the correlation function for a three-level molecule are discussed and the theoretical description outlined. © 1992 The American Physical Society.