Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2025

11:45
Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
14.8K
Theoretical description of electric fields in three-dimensional multipole ion traps
Maxim Vasilyev1, Semyon Rudyi1, Yuri Rozhdestvensky1
165071ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
European Journal of Mass Spectrometry (Chichester, England)
|October 28, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a matrix method to describe electric fields in general multipole ion traps. This approach aids in understanding potential distribution for hexapole and octupole trap designs.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Multipole ion traps are crucial for various applications, including mass spectrometry and particle manipulation.
- Understanding the electric field potential distribution is essential for optimizing trap performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a general principle for forming spatial potential distribution in multipole three-dimensional ion traps.
- To propose a matrix method for describing electric fields up to the Nth order of multipole.
Main Methods:
- Development of a matrix method to represent electric fields in ion traps.
- Analysis of typical electrode geometries for hexapole and octupole traps.
Main Results:
- A systematic matrix method is proposed for calculating the electric field potential.
- The method is applicable to general types of multipole ion traps.
- Consideration of specific electrode configurations for hexapole and octupole traps.
Conclusions:
- The proposed matrix method provides a powerful tool for analyzing and designing multipole ion traps.
- This work contributes to a deeper understanding of electric field behavior in complex ion trap geometries.
Related Concept Videos
Mass Analyzers: Common Types
883
The quadrupole mass analyzer consists of four cylindrical metal rods arranged in a diamond carrying a DC voltage and a radio-frequency AC voltage. The motion of ions through the quadrupole depends on the field strength, causing only ions of a certain m/z to resonate successfully and strike the detector at a given field strength. Though the transmission rate for these analyzers is high, the exact elemental composition of the sample is not determined because of low resolution; however, they are...
883
Electric Field Lines
8.3K
The three-dimensional representation of the electric field of a positive point charge requires tracing the electric field vectors, whose lengths decrease as the square of their distance from the charge and which point away from the charge at each point. This vector field is no doubt challenging to visualize. The visualization of electric fields becomes quickly intractable as the number of charges increases.
The solution to this problem is to use electric field lines, which are not vectors but...
The solution to this problem is to use electric field lines, which are not vectors but...
8.3K
Electric Field
11.6K
Consider two point charges, each exerting Coulomb force on the other. It is possible to describe the Coulomb interaction via an intermediate step by defining a new physical quantity called the electric field.
In the new picture, imagine that the first charge sets up an electric field independent of all other charges in the universe. When another charge comes in its vicinity, the second charge experiences an electric force depending on the electric field at that point. The source charge does not...
In the new picture, imagine that the first charge sets up an electric field independent of all other charges in the universe. When another charge comes in its vicinity, the second charge experiences an electric force depending on the electric field at that point. The source charge does not...
11.6K
Electric Field of Two Equal and Opposite Charges
6.5K
Atoms generally contain the same number of positively and negatively charged particles, protons, and electrons. Hence, they are electrically neutral. However, the centers of the positive and negative charges do not always coincide. In such a scenario, the electric field of an atom may not be zero.
A separation of the positive and negative charges can lead to a weak, remnant effect of the positive and negative charges. The expectation is that the more the distance between the positive and...
A separation of the positive and negative charges can lead to a weak, remnant effect of the positive and negative charges. The expectation is that the more the distance between the positive and...
6.5K
Calculations of Electric Potential II
1.9K
An electric dipole is a system of two equal but opposite charges, separated by a fixed distance. This system is used to model many real-world systems, including atomic and molecular interactions. One of these systems is the water molecule, but only under certain circumstances. These circumstances are met inside a microwave oven, where electric fields with alternating directions make the water molecules change orientation. This vibration is equivalent to heat at the molecular level.
Consider a...
Consider a...
1.9K
Potential Due to a Polarized Object
515
A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
515

