Multi-reflecting Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer With Orthogonal Acceleration

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF MS), comprising:

• an ion source for generating an ion beam;
• an orthogonal accelerator to convert the ion beam into ion packets;
• an interface for ion transfer between said ion source and said orthogonal accelerator;
• and
• a multi-reflecting analyzer providing multiple reflections of the ion packets within electrostatic fields,
• wherein said interface comprises a gas-filled radio frequency ion guide, said ion guide having means for periodic modulation of an axial electric field.

A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF MS), comprising:

• an ion source for generating an ion beam;
• an orthogonal accelerator to convert the ion beam into ion packets;
• an interface for ion transfer between said ion source and said orthogonal accelerator;
• and
• a multi-reflecting analyzer providing multiple reflections of the ion packets within electrostatic fields,
• wherein said orthogonal accelerator comprises an electrostatic trap.

A method of multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometry, comprising the steps of:

• forming an ion beam;
• forming ion packets by applying a pulsed electric field in a substantially orthogonal direction to the ion beam;
• introducing the ion packets into a field-free space in between ion mirrors, the ion mirrors forming a substantially two-dimensional electric field, extended along a drift axis;
• and
• orienting the pulsed electric field substantially orthogonal to the drift direction such that the ion packets experience multiple reflections combined with slow displacement along the drift direction, thus forming a jig-saw ion path within a trajectory plane,
• wherein said ion beam travels substantially orthogonal to the trajectory plane.

A method of multi-pass time-of-flight mass spectrometry, comprising the steps of:

• forming an ion beam;
• delivering the beam to a region of ion packet formation;
• forming ion packets by applying a pulsed electric field in a substantially orthogonal direction to the ion beam;
• and
• introducing the ion packets into an electrostatic field of a multi-reflecting time-of-flight analyzer, such that the ion packets experience multiple reflections,
• wherein said step of ion beam delivery further comprises a step of time-modulating the intensity of the ion beam by axial electric field within an ion guide at an intermediate gas pressure, the modulation is synchronized to orthogonal electric pulses.

A method of multi-pass time-of-flight mass spectrometry, comprising the steps of:

• forming an ion beam;
• delivering the ion beam to a region of ion packet formation;
• forming ion packets by applying a pulsed electric field in an electrostatic trap in a substantially orthogonal direction to the ion beam;
• and
• introducing the ion packets into an electrostatic field of a multi-reflecting time-of-flight analyzer, such that the ion packets experience multiple reflections,
• wherein said step of ion beam delivery into said pulsed electric field of the electrostatic trap further comprises a step of ion trapping in an electrostatic field and wherein at least a portion of trapped ions remains in a region of pulsed acceleration.