ATTA - A new method of ultrasensitive isotope trace analysis

A new method of ultrasensitive isotope trace analysis has been developed. T his method, based on the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms, has been used to count individual Kr-85 and Kr-81 atoms present in a natura l krypton gas sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10(-11) and 1 0(-13), respectively. This method is free of contamination from other isoto pes and elements and can be applied to various different isotope tracers fo r a wide range of applications. The demonstrated detection efficiency is 1 x 10(-7). System improvements could increase the efficiency by many orders of magnitude. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.