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This technique has never been demonstrated before and uses a class of molecules for this purpose for the first time. Precise imaging of single molecules helps researchers understand how single proteins and other biomolecules behave. It can reveal more information about how diseases develop and the ways drugs interact, potentially helping design more effective treatments. The work is published in the journal Physical Review X.

Reading spins at close range

The sensors probe the spin, or local magnetic environment, of atoms. Because each atom has a unique resonance frequency, if two are close together, they magnetically affect each other.

"Our experiment establishes a new paradigm in nanoscale quantum sensing," said Dr. Raffi Budakian, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a faculty member at IQC. "There are other milestones to reach before we have a sensor sensitive to single molecules, but we know how to get there, and this is a huge demonstration. We're not too far away now because of this advancement."

A molecular alternative to diamond

A well-established quantum-sensing technique uses synthetic diamonds designed with atomic-scale defects and involves light to read out signals. Budakian's group used a class of molecules called trityl-OX063 as the quantum sensor. The spin of the sensor is isolated and protected, preserving its quantum properties. Compared with the diamond sensing technique, the sensor can be placed closer to its target to achieve higher sensitivity.

Their method uses the electron spin of the OX063 molecule. The magnetic fields from nearby nuclear spins change the evolution of that electron spin. The resulting signal is detected mechanically using nanowire probes that are 100 nanometers in diameter, about the size of a virus, and 20 microns long, about the diameter of a human hair.

"One key challenge was keeping the OX063 spins coherent long enough to make them useful as sensors," said Sahand Tabatabaei, a Ph.D. candidate at IQC and first author on the paper. "The new control sequence we developed extended the coherence time to 400 microseconds, so it maintained its quantum state roughly 60 times longer than what is achieved with standard spin-echo techniques in the same system."

Closing in on single spins

Budakian said the sensor can already detect the magnetic state of about 10 spins. They know how to get to single spins, which is a key step toward mapping the structure of single molecules.

Current molecular-imaging techniques, while powerful, don't reveal unique molecular structures because they require larger samples.

"Using force detection in quantum sensing is new and opens up a whole new avenue of approaches we can take to get us closer to mapping single protein structures," Budakian said.

Publication details

Long-lived mechanically-detected molecular spins for quantum sensing, Physical Review X (2026). DOI: 10.1103/c994-bzx7

Who's behind this story?

Lisa Lock

BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: Single molecule becomes quantum sensor for imaging proteins at nanoscale (2026, July 28) retrieved 28 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-molecule-quantum-sensor-imaging-proteins.html

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On multiple occasions throughout the games’ TV coverage, the Team USA member was seen opening packs of Magic cards and spoke about her passion for the hobby during interviews.

“Honestly, it wasn’t even promoting,” Glenn tells Variety. “It was like, this is what I do for fun, and I’m gonna be a nerd on international television.”

Following the Olympics, Glenn’s agents got in touch with Magic: The Gathering developer Wizards of the Coast. “And it’s been amazing ever since,” Glenn says during an interview after attending a Wizards event in Seattle unveiling a new collection of cards in support of the Global Fund for Women.

“With Magic, there’s a third space because, for me, it’s like home and the rink,” Glenn says. “And even though the rink, like I have friends, and it’s not like a typical job, that’s work. So going to a local game store where people are just having fun and socializing and enjoying this hobby, whether it’s Magic or board games or D & D or something, I just finally had a third space. Something outside of my everyday training, and that was so new for me.”

A player since 2022, Glenn says she’s amassed quite the card collection in just a few years.

“It was a slippery slope. I just got into it so bad,” Glenn says. “This is embarrassing: I have well over probably 100,000 cards. Now, some of them are worth less than a cent. Like they’re not anything crazy. But I’m huge into it.”

Glenn is far from the first star to be publicly passionate about Magic: The Gathering, the most famous example being Post Malone, who purchased a one-of-a-kind “One Ring” card from Magic’s “The Lord of the Rings” set for $2 million in 2023. He’s also directly collaborated with Wizards on a Post Malone-inspired “Secret Lair” (a limited release collection of a handful of themed cards) drop.

If Glenn goes the same way in her partnership with Wizards, what would she want included in her own “Secret Lair?”

“Oh my god, that is such a question,” Glenn says. “I literally have it in my notes, ‘Come up with something,’ because I have so many directions — you could go this way or this way or this way. I have a dog named Ukkima. But I love playing Yoshimaru. She’s named after ‘Ukkima, the Stalking Shadow,’ but I see her more as — she’s an all-black Schipperke, so she’s like a shadow — but she’s the ‘Ever Faithful Yoshimaru!’ Oh my god, that’d be so confusing. But that’d be so cool.”

She also wants to include nods to her figure-skating career, but not too much: “Of course, there’s people who say do Jeskai [a set comprised of only red, white and blue mana cards]. They’re like, ‘Red, white and blue! America! U.S.!’ I’m like, OK, sure, but I don’t usually play Jeskai, but to each their own. Or having like the gold token, ha ha, get it? Which I do love a good treasure token, I do. I’m like, Ancient Copper Dragon? Is that too much to ask, reprinting? I have to think of logistics so much of, what can we do what can we not?”

She’s also considering an unofficial, joke-style card, The Ice Dancer (a “human athlete” creature type), which was featured during a MagicCon event.

“After MagicCon, someone showed up after to one of the shows because unfortunately I couldn’t attend because I was doing shows with Stars on Ice, or else I would have been there so fast,” Glenn says. “Two days later, someone I guess went directly from the con to one of our shows, and showed up with one of these for me and some collector packs. So sweet, so nice. Of course, I signed stuff and gave it back. And it was just so cool to see that.”

Glenn says that one of her first decks was centered around “Jorn, God of Winter,” and the “snow synergy” element could fit in nicely for her themed deck, “but I don’t want it to be too based off skating because I also want it to be strong queer women.”

On that note, Glenn is taking some inspiration from “Their Magic Is Limitless,” the “Secret Lair” drop that she was on hand to celebrate last week with Wizards. Largely made as a tribute to the women in the Magic community, 50% of the product price for the set is going toward the Global Fund for Women.

“Obviously, ‘Sol Ring’ is a beautiful thing, but you can’t outdo this,” Glenn says, holding up the collection’s specific artistic take on the classic card. “They paid homage to the original Sol Ring with the fire, but instead it’s this beautiful — like, they wanted to have the delicacy for women, but also the power, and it’s just so stunning. I would definitely put all my faith in the art directors here.” %!s()

SpaceX and Tesla have erased a cumulative $1.5 trillion in market cap since mid-June, after an almost 50% sell-off in SpaceX since its high and an 18% drop in Tesla since earnings last week.

It might get even crazier next week, based on options pricing around SpaceX's earnings report on Tuesday, and the end of the lockup period for SpaceX insiders two days after.

Options prices are implying a 15% swing in SpaceX after earnings, with implied volatility of 122 in the stock – higher than every company in the S&P 500 other than SanDisk, which dropped 16% on Tuesday. Earnings also trigger the company's unique lock-up period, which allows insiders to begin selling shares earlier than the typical 180-day period. That puts a total of more than 900 million shares, or 20% of their eligible locked-up stock, on the table for trading.

TSLA, SPCX since mid-June

The early lockup two days after earnings presents a tricky setup for options traders, who can usually count on a stock's implied volatility falling after earnings. Earnings present predictable risk for stockholders who often have to hedge their positions, and once that risk passes — even if the stock crashes, volatility usually declines.

For SpaceX, traders must ask which presents more risk to the stock — its first earnings, or the lockup period? If the lockup period leads to insiders selling stock, it could mean volatility either stays elevated or goes up after earnings.

The implied volatility of SpaceX contracts expiring Aug. 7 is 160, according to data from thinkorswim, compared to 55 for Tesla, which currently trades with an implied vol of 52.

SpaceX traders have largely retained their optimism throughout the decline. More calls trade on a daily basis than puts, with traders buying almost 100,000 calls on Tuesday, compared to just 46,000 puts.

That said, the divide between small and big traders is growing, with the latter group erring more on the side of caution. The most popular contract by volume Tuesday was the 330-strike calls expiring Next Friday, of which traders bought $770,000-worth across 21,000 trades, according to SpotGamma.

Sorted by size of trader, and the picture is still bullish, but much less aggressive: the 130-strike call expiring in November, which traded just 5,400 times but for $8.7 million of premium. %!s()