Extended Data Fig. 1: Time-integrated STM image of recurringly switching MgPc molecule.

Constant-current topographic map of the LUMO resonance of a MgPc molecule adsorbed on NaCl (1.1 V bias voltage, 2 pA current setpoint). The NaCl symmetry directions are indicated by dashed lines. A prominent ring of 4 Å apparent height around the centre of the molecule is visible, featuring four pairs of local minima along the azimuthal direction (one pair indicated by arrows). To record each single pixel, millions of electrons are successively tunnelled from the tip into a molecular orbital and subsequently into the substrate, triggering the molecule to switch between both adsorption ground states \(|l\rangle \) and \(|r\rangle \) many times. As a result, the time-integrated LUMO density map features pairs of local minima deduced from the individual electronic nodal planes in states \(|l\rangle \) and \(|r\rangle \), representing a superposition of the electron density in both geometries.