Physicists at Göttingen University imaged the three-dimensional wavefunction of a nanometer-sized organic molecule using a lab-based soft-X-ray laser. Published in Nature Communications, the technique overcomes prior synchrotron constraints to resolve atomic-scale featuresOvercoming limitations in quantum imagingIn quantum mechanics, subatomic particles such as electrons cannot be pinned down to a single location. Together, the system resolves spatial details smaller than the distance between neighbouring carbon atoms within a single molecule. Researchers aim to develop stroboscopic videography to observe wavefunctions changing in real time at quadrillionths of a second. This capability could reveal how molecular orbitals adapt during optical, electronic, or chemical transformations, offering new ways to control chemical interactions at the atomic scale.