The quantum nature of a physical system often emerges from its fundamental building blocks and demands a profound understanding to harvest its advantages for quantum devices. In this talk, I will introduce single atoms and molecules as building blocks for highly controlled quantum experiments.

Utilizing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in combination with election spin resonance (ESR) establishes an atomic "workbench" for coherent control of individual spins on surfaces. This unique technique allows us to adress single atoms and molecules with unprecedented energy and spatial resolution and use them for instance as magnetic sensors centers on the nanoscale.

In addition, the high energy resolution also grants access to the hyperfine interaction between the electron and nuclear spin of different atomic species.

Lastly, by employing pulsed ESR schemes, a coherent manipulation of the surface spin becomes possible, for instance in Rabi and Hahn echo schemes. This opens up a path towards quantum information processing and quantum sensing using atomic building blocks, including atoms en molecules.

There will be coffe and cake.