A superconducting NbN detector for neutral nanoparticles.
We present a proof-of-principle study of superconducting single photon detectors (SSPD) for the detection of individual neutral molecules/nanoparticles at low energies. The new detector is applied to characterize a laser desorption source for biomolecules and allows retrieval of the arrival time distribution of a pulsed molecular beam containing the amino acid tryptophan, the polypeptide gramicidin as well as insulin, myoglobin and hemoglobin. We discuss the experimental evidence that the detector is actually sensitive to isolated neutral particles.
Marksteiner
Markus
M
University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. markus.arndt@univie.ac.at
Divochiy
Alexander
A
Sclafani
Michele
M
Haslinger
Philipp
P
Ulbricht
Hendrik
H
Korneev
Alexander
A
Semenov
Alexander
A
Gol'tsman
Gregory
G
Arndt
Markus
M
D004553:Electric Conductivity; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D017785:Photons