Photo of the laboratory Laser Induced Liquid Beam Ion Desorption (LILBID) setup.
Recently, the unique coupling of an Orbitrap-based mass analyzer, OLYMPIA, to the LILBID technique has been achieved in our laboratory in Berlin and as part as a collaboration with the Université d'Orléans. OLYMPIA (Orbitrap anaLYser MultiPle IonisAtion) is an instrument based on the Orbitrap analyzer that can operate with several ionization techniques, including electron impact ionization, laser ablation/desorption and Laser-Induced Liquid Beam Ion Desorption (LILBID). Although OLYMPIA is not intended to be developed as a flight instrument, it serves as a test bench to evaluate possible designs for future space-qualified instruments, supporting the development of the space instruments based on the Orbitrap.
The Orbitrap cell is a small (diameter of 30 mm) mass analyzer formed by 4 electrodes: a spindle-shaped central electrode, two external electrodes, and a deflection electrode. When applying a high voltage to the central electrode, an electric field traps ions in orbits around the central electrode. The ions oscillate back and forth, and the external electrodes detect the image current generated in this motion.