Trajectory compensation in an autoresonant trap mass spectrometer

• Published in: Journal of mass spectrometry. Vol. 46; no. 7; pp. 672 - 676
• Main Authors: Ermakov, A. V., Hinch, B. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.07.2011; Wiley
• Subjects: anharmonic trapping; Anharmonicity; Compensation; Constraining; Electrodes; Electronics; electrostatic devices; Exact sciences and technology; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; ion trap; Mass spectrometers; Mass spectrometers and related techniques; particle traps; Physics; Trapping; Weight reduction; anharmonic trapping; Ion trap; Ion mobility; Electrostatic spectrometers; mass spectrometers; Instrumentation; Mass spectroscopy; Anharmonicity; particle traps; electrostatic devices
• ISSN: 1076-5174; 1096-9888; 1096-9888
• DOI: 10.1002/jms.1937

The auto‐resonant trap mass spectrometer, ART‐MS, utilizes electrostatic ion trapping within an anharmonic potential well. Ions are detected after mass selective trap ejection with auto‐resonant driving employing only low‐power rf electronics. We identify the major limiting factor in the mass resolution of these instruments. Whilst keeping in the spirit of maintaining a rapid scan rate, low cost, lightweight instrument, with minimal required machining tolerances, we introduce a method for much improving the mass resolutions of an ART‐MS. The addition of two electrodes has enabled an improvement in the mass resolution by a factor of ∼4. The scheme significantly reduces the effects of a finite sized trap and compensates for the influence of radial variation in natural oscillating frequencies within the trap. Compensation can be implemented with a wide range of designs and is not limited by the size of the trap. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.