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Rivilla I, Aparicio B, Bueno JM, Casanova D, Tonnelé C, Freixa Z, Herrero P, Rogero C, Miranda JI, Martínez-Ojeda RM, Monrabal F, Olave B, Schäfer T, Artal P, Nygren D, Cossío FP, Gómez-Cadenas JJ. Fluorescent bicolour sensor for low-background neutrinoless double β decay experiments. Nature 2020; 583:48-54. [PMID: 32572207 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2431-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Observation of the neutrinoless double β decay is the only practical way to establish that neutrinos are their own antiparticles1. Because of the small masses of neutrinos, the lifetime of neutrinoless double β decay is expected to be at least ten orders of magnitude greater than the typical lifetimes of natural radioactive chains, which can mimic the experimental signature of neutrinoless double β decay2. The most robust identification of neutrinoless double β decay requires the definition of a signature signal-such as the observation of the daughter atom in the decay-that cannot be generated by radioactive backgrounds, as well as excellent energy resolution. In particular, the neutrinoless double β decay of 136Xe could be established by detecting the daughter atom, 136Ba2+, in its doubly ionized state3-8. Here we demonstrate an important step towards a 'barium-tagging' experiment, which identifies double β decay through the detection of a single Ba2+ ion. We propose a fluorescent bicolour indicator as the core of a sensor that can detect single Ba2+ ions in a high-pressure xenon gas detector. In a sensor made of a monolayer of such indicators, the Ba2+ dication would be captured by one of the molecules and generate a Ba2+-coordinated species with distinct photophysical properties. The presence of such a single Ba2+-coordinated indicator would be revealed by its response to repeated interrogation with a laser system, enabling the development of a sensor able to detect single Ba2+ ions in high-pressure xenon gas detectors for barium-tagging experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Rivilla
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Borja Aparicio
- Department of Organic Chemistry I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Centro de Innovación en Química Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Juan M Bueno
- Laboratorio de Óptica (LOUM) & Centro de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica (CiOyN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - David Casanova
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Claire Tonnelé
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Zoraida Freixa
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.,Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Pablo Herrero
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Celia Rogero
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain.,Materials Physics Center CFM (CSIC-UPV/EHU), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - José I Miranda
- SGIker NMR Facility, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Rosa M Martínez-Ojeda
- Laboratorio de Óptica (LOUM) & Centro de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica (CiOyN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francesc Monrabal
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Beñat Olave
- NanoBioSeparations Group, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Thomas Schäfer
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.,NanoBioSeparations Group, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain
| | - Pablo Artal
- Laboratorio de Óptica (LOUM) & Centro de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica (CiOyN), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - David Nygren
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Fernando P Cossío
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain. .,Department of Organic Chemistry I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Centro de Innovación en Química Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain.
| | - Juan J Gómez-Cadenas
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain. .,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
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3
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McDonald AD, Jones BJP, Nygren DR, Adams C, Álvarez V, Azevedo CDR, Benlloch-Rodríguez JM, Borges FIGM, Botas A, Cárcel S, Carrión JV, Cebrián S, Conde CAN, Díaz J, Diesburg M, Escada J, Esteve R, Felkai R, Fernandes LMP, Ferrario P, Ferreira AL, Freitas EDC, Goldschmidt A, Gómez-Cadenas JJ, González-Díaz D, Gutiérrez RM, Guenette R, Hafidi K, Hauptman J, Henriques CAO, Hernandez AI, Hernando Morata JA, Herrero V, Johnston S, Labarga L, Laing A, Lebrun P, Liubarsky I, López-March N, Losada M, Martín-Albo J, Martínez-Lema G, Martínez A, Monrabal F, Monteiro CMB, Mora FJ, Moutinho LM, Muñoz Vidal J, Musti M, Nebot-Guinot M, Novella P, Palmeiro B, Para A, Pérez J, Querol M, Repond J, Renner J, Riordan S, Ripoll L, Rodríguez J, Rogers L, Santos FP, Dos Santos JMF, Simón A, Sofka C, Sorel M, Stiegler T, Toledo JF, Torrent J, Tsamalaidze Z, Veloso JFCA, Webb R, White JT, Yahlali N. Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:132504. [PMID: 29694208 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.132504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of ^{136}Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba^{++}) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (∼2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D McDonald
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - B J P Jones
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - D R Nygren
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - C Adams
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - V Álvarez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - C D R Azevedo
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - J M Benlloch-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - F I G M Borges
- LIP, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, P-3004 516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Botas
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Cárcel
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - J V Carrión
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Cebrián
- Laboratorio de Física Nuclear y Astropartículas, Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - C A N Conde
- LIP, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, P-3004 516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - J Díaz
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Diesburg
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA
| | - J Escada
- LIP, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, P-3004 516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - R Esteve
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - R Felkai
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - L M P Fernandes
- LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - P Ferrario
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - A L Ferreira
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - E D C Freitas
- LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Goldschmidt
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - J J Gómez-Cadenas
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - D González-Díaz
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Univ. de Santiago de Compostela, Campus sur, Rúa Xosé María Suárez Núñez, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - R M Gutiérrez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Sede Circunvalar, Carretera 3 Este No. 47 A-15, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - R Guenette
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - K Hafidi
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Illinois 60439, USA
| | - J Hauptman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3160, USA
| | - C A O Henriques
- LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A I Hernandez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Sede Circunvalar, Carretera 3 Este No. 47 A-15, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J A Hernando Morata
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Univ. de Santiago de Compostela, Campus sur, Rúa Xosé María Suárez Núñez, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - V Herrero
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - S Johnston
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Illinois 60439, USA
| | - L Labarga
- Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Laing
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - P Lebrun
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA
| | - I Liubarsky
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - N López-March
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Losada
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Sede Circunvalar, Carretera 3 Este No. 47 A-15, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J Martín-Albo
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - G Martínez-Lema
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Univ. de Santiago de Compostela, Campus sur, Rúa Xosé María Suárez Núñez, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A Martínez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - F Monrabal
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - C M B Monteiro
- LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - F J Mora
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - L M Moutinho
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - J Muñoz Vidal
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Musti
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Nebot-Guinot
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - P Novella
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - B Palmeiro
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Para
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA
| | - J Pérez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Querol
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - J Repond
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Illinois 60439, USA
| | - J Renner
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Riordan
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Illinois 60439, USA
| | - L Ripoll
- Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de Girona, Av. Montilivi, s/n, 17071 Girona, Spain
| | - J Rodríguez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - L Rogers
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - F P Santos
- LIP, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, P-3004 516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - J M F Dos Santos
- LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Simón
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - C Sofka
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Sorel
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - T Stiegler
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA
| | - J F Toledo
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - J Torrent
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Z Tsamalaidze
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Russia
| | - J F C A Veloso
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - R Webb
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA
| | - J T White
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA
| | - N Yahlali
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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