https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-015-0033-1
Research
Single molecule DNA detection with an atomic vapor notch filter
1
3rd Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart and Stuttgart Research Center of Photonic Engineering (SCoPE) and IQST, Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart, 70569, Germany
2
Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstraße 1, Stuttgart, 70569, Germany
* e-mail: i.gerhardt@fkf.mpg.de
Received:
26
February
2015
Accepted:
10
August
2015
Published online:
26
August
2015
The detection of single molecules has facilitated many advances in life- and material-science. Commonly the fluorescence of dye molecules is detected, which are attached to a non-fluorescent structure under study. For fluorescence microscopy one desires to maximize the detection efficiency together with an efficient suppression of undesired laser leakage. Here we present the use of the narrow-band filtering properties of hot atomic sodium vapor to selectively filter the excitation light from the red-shifted fluorescence of dye labeled single-stranded DNA molecules. A statistical analysis proves an enhancement in detection efficiency of more than 15% in a confocal and in a wide-field configuration.
Key words: DNA detection / fluorescence microscopy / single molecules / atomic filtering / sodium spectroscopy
© Uhland et al., 2015
