A superconducting NbN detector for neutral nanoparticles

Author(s)
Markus Marksteiner, Alexander Divochiy, Michele Sclafani, Philipp Haslinger, Hendrik Ulbricht, Alexander Korneev, Alexander Semenov, Gregory Gol'tsman, Markus Arndt
Abstract

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.

Organisation(s)
Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
External organisation(s)
Moscow State Pedagogical University (MSPU), Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics
Journal
Nanotechnology
Volume
20
No. of pages
6
ISSN
0957-4484
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/20/45/455501
Publication date
2009
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103026 Quantum optics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/c81a8883-f657-4dcb-8a4e-adf1c43e59e1