Fluorescence imaging of individual ions and molecules in pressurized noble gases for barium tagging in 136Xe

Journal Article · 04 December 2024 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54872-0 · OSTI ID:2479800

Byrnes, N. K.; Dey, E.; Foss, F. W.; Jones, B. J. P. ; Madigan, R.; McDonald, A. D.; Miller, R. L. ; Norman, L. R.; Navarro, K. E.; Nygren, D. R.; Adams, C.; Almazán, H.; Álvarez, V.; Aparicio, B.; Aranburu, A. I.; Arazi, L.; Arnquist, I. J.; Auria-Luna, F.; Ayet, S.; Azevedo, C. D. R. ; Barcelon, J. E.; Bailey, K.; Ballester, F.; del Barrio-Torregrosa, M.; Bayo, A.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Brodolin, A.; Cárcel, S.; Castillo, A.; Cebrián, S.; Church, E.; Cid, L.; Conde, C. A. N.; Contreras, T.; Cossío, F. P.; Díaz, G.; Dickel, T.; Echevarria, C.; Elorza, M.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Freixa, Z.; García-Barrena, J.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González, R.; Grocott, J. W. R.; Guenette, R.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero-Gómez, P.; Herrero, V.; Hervés Carrete, C.; Ho, P.; Ifergan, Y.; Kellerer, F.; Larizgoitia, L.; Larumbe, A.; Lebrun, P.; Lopez, F.; López-March, N.; Mano, R. D. P.; Marques, A. P.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez-Vara, M.; Mistry, K.; Molina-Canteras, J.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Novella, P.; Nuñez, A.; Oblak, E.; Palacio, J.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Parmaksiz, I.; Pazos, A.; Pelegrin, J.; Pérez Maneiro, M.; Querol, M.; Redwine, A. B.; Renner, J.; Rivilla, I.; Rogero, C.; Rogers, L.; Romeo, B.; Romo-Luque, C.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Seemann, M.; Shomroni, I.; Silva, P. A. O. C.; Simón, A.; Soleti, S. R.; Sorel, M.; Soto-Oton, J.; Teixeira, J. M. R.; Teruel-Pardo, S.; Toledo, J. F.; Tonnelé, C.; Torrent, J.; Trettin, A.; Usón, A.; Valle, P. R. G.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Waiton, J.; Yubero-Navarro, A.

Abstract The imaging of individual Ba ²⁺ ions in high pressure xenon gas is one possible way to attain background-free sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay and hence establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino. In this paper we demonstrate selective single Ba ²⁺ ion imaging inside a high-pressure xenon gas environment. Ba ²⁺ ions chelated with molecular chemosensors are resolved at the gas-solid interface using a diffraction-limited imaging system with scan area of 1 × 1 cm ² located inside 10 bar of xenon gas. This form of microscopy represents key ingredient in the development of barium tagging for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in ¹³⁶ Xe. This also provides a new tool for studying the photophysics of fluorescent molecules and chemosensors at the solid-gas interface to enable bottom-up design of catalysts and sensors.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Aveiro U.; Basque U., Bilbao; Ben Gurion U. of Negev; Coimbra U.; Donostia Intl. Phys. Ctr., San Sebastian; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Girona U.; Harvard U.; Hebrew U.; Iowa State U.; LIP, Coimbra; LSC, Canfranc; Manchester U.; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Santiago de Compostela U., IGFAE; Texas U., Arlington; U. Giessen, II. Phys. Inst.; U. Zaragoza, LFNAE; Unlisted, ES; Valencia U., IFIC; Valencia, Polytechnic U.; Zaragoza U.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: 89243024CSC000002; AC02-07CH11359; SC0019223
• OSTI ID: 2479800
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-24-0802-PPD; 10595; PII: 54872
• Journal Information: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN 2041-1723
• Publisher: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English