BGU researchers discover improved ionization method to detect molecular oxygen
A new laser spectroscopy scheme for molecular oxygen achieves roughly two orders of magnitude higher sensitivity for fully rotationally resolved spectra than the previous state of the art
Molecular oxygen is crucial for life as we know it. From the air we breathe to combustion, plasma, atmospheric chemistry, and also research fields including ultracold chemistry, surface scattering, new physics searches, and astrochemistry, oxygen plays many essential roles. However, compared to studies on other fundamental molecules, those on oxygen have long suffered from relatively low efficiency in laser-based ionization, which is one of the most sensitive types of detection techniques.
Now, PhD student Itai Kallos and his advisors Profs. Ilana Bar (Physics) and Joshua Baraban (Chemistry) have developed a new laser spectroscopy scheme for molecular oxygen that achieves roughly two orders of magnitude higher sensitivity for fully rotationally resolved spectra than the previous state of the art.
Cover illustration: Itai S. Kallos
Their findings were recently highlighted on the front cover of The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters in a Letter entitled “Significantly Improved Detection of Molecular Oxygen by Two-Color Resonance-Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization.”
The key to the new detection scheme is the addition of a second distinct photon that dramatically increases the ionization probability. The improved performance and convenient implementation of the new method promises to enable breakthroughs in fundamental scientific studies and technological applications.
The research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement 848668) and the Israel Science Foundation (Grant 194/20).
