Ultrafast Coulomb blockade in an atomic-scale quantum dot

Controlling electron dynamics at optical clock rates is a fundamental challenge in lightwave-driven nanoelectronics and quantum technology. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast charge-state manipulation of individual selenium vacancies in monolayer and bilayer tungsten diselenide using picosecond terahertz source pulses, focused onto the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope. Using pump-probe time-domain sampling of the defect charge population, we capture atomic-scale snapshots of the transient Coulomb blockade, a hallmark of charge transport via quantized defect states. We leverage the Franck-Condon blockade, which restricts accessible vibronic transitions and promotes unidirectional charge transport, to effectively mitigate back tunneling to the tip electrode. Our master equation approach models the non-reciprocal tunneling process due to vibrations and angular momentum multiplicities, accurately reproducing the time-dependent tunneling current across different coupling regimes. Capturing and controlling ultrafast charge dynamics in low-dimensional materials at the atomic scale opens frontiers in lightwave-driven nanoscale science and technology.