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Towards ultrasensitive isotope trace analysis {sup 41}Ca.

Iain D. Moore, K. Bailey, Zheng‐Tian Lu, Peter Mueller, Thomas P. O’Connor, Linda Young

Published May 6, 2002• 0 citations
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Abstract

An Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) system based on the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms is being developed to count individual {sup 41}Ca atoms present in natural samples with an isotopic abundance of 10{sup -15}. Trapping of all stable calcium isotopes has been demonstrated and single-atom counting has been realized. For the most abundant isotope, {sup 40}Ca (97% isotopic abundance), a magneto-optical trap (MOT) loading rate of 2 x 10{sup 10} atoms/s has been reached at the overall capture efficiency of 1 x 10{sup -4}. System improvements could increase the efficiency by at least an order of magnitude.

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An Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) system based on the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms is being developed to count individual {sup 41}Ca atoms present in natural samples with an isotopic abundance of 10{sup -15}. Trapping of all stable calcium isotopes has been demonstrated and single-atom counting has been realized. For the most abundant isotope, {sup 40}Ca (97% isotopic abundance), a magneto-optical trap (MOT) loading rate of 2 x 10{sup 10} atoms/s has been reached at the overall capture efficiency of 1 x 10{sup -4}. System improvements could increase the efficiency by at least an order of magnitude.
A new method of ultrasensitive trace-isotope analysis has been developed based upon the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms. It has been used to count individual {sup 85}Kr and {sup 81}Kr atoms present in a natural krypton sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10{sup {minus}11} and 10{sup {minus}13}, respectively. The atom counts are free of contamination from other isotopes, elements,or molecules. The method is applicable to other trace-isotopes that can be efficiently captured with a magneto-optical trap, and has a broad range of potential applications.
Atom trap trace analysis, a novel method based upon laser trapping and cooling, is used to count individual atoms of 41Ca^{41}\mathrm{Ca}41Ca present in biomedical samples with isotopic abundance levels between ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$. The method is calibrated against resonance ionization mass spectrometry, demonstrating good agreement between the two methods. The present system has a counting efficiency of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$. Within 1 h of observation time, its $3\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}\ensuremath{\sigma}$ detection limit on the isotopic abundance of 41Ca^{41}\mathrm{Ca}41Ca reaches $4.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$.
A new method of ultrasensitive isotope trace analysis has been developed. This method, based on the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms, has been used to count individual {sup 85}Kr and {sup 81}Kr atoms present in a natural krypton gas sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10{sup {minus}11} and 10{sup {minus}13}, respectively. This method is free of contamination from other isotopes and elements and can be applied to several different isotope tracers for a wide range of applications. The demonstrated detection efficiency is 1 x 10{sup {minus}7}. System improvements could increase the efficiency by many orders of magnitude.
A new method of ultrasensitive trace-isotope analysis has been developed based upon the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms. It has been used to count individual 85Kr and 81Kr atoms present in a natural krypton sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10−11 and 10−13, respectively. The atom counts are free of contamination from other isotopes, elements, or molecules. The method is applicable to other trace-isotopes that can be efficiently captured with a magneto-optical trap, and has a broad range of potential applications.
Laser manipulation of neutral atoms has been used to count individual krypton-85 and krypton-81 atoms present in a natural krypton gas sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10(-11) and 10(-13), respectively. This method of isotope trace analysis is free of contamination from other isotopes and elements and can be applied to several different isotope tracers for a wide range of applications. The demonstrated detection efficiency is 1 x 10(-7). System improvements could increase the efficiency by many orders of magnitude.
We demonstrate a combination of an isotopically purified atom beam and a magneto-optical trap which enables single-atom detection of all stable isotopes of calcium (40, 42, 43, 44, 46, and 48). These isotopes range in abundance from 96.9% (40Ca)(^{40}\mathrm{Ca})(40Ca) to 0.004% (46Ca)(^{46}\mathrm{Ca})(46Ca). The trap is loaded from an atomic beam which is decelerated in a Zeeman slower and subsequently deflected over an angle of 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} by optical molasses. The isotope selectivity of the Zeeman slower and the deflection stage is investigated experimentally and compared with Monte Carlo simulations.