Exponential Scan Mode for Quadrupole Mass Spectrometers to Generate Super-Resolved Mass Spectra

A mass spectrometer method, comprising:

• measuring by way of a quadrupole, a reference signal representative of a measured or expected time distribution and/or time and spatial distribution of a single ion species while time-varying RF and DC voltages are applied to said quadrupole;
• applying an exponentially ramped oscillatory (RF) voltage and an exponentially ramped direct current (DC) voltage to said quadrupole, wherein said RF and DC voltages are maintained in constant proportion to each other during the progression of ramping so as to selectively transmit to the distal end of said quadrupole, an abundance of ions to be measured within a range of mass-to-charge values (m/z's) determined by the amplitudes of said applied (RF) and (DC) voltages;
• acquiring temporal or both temporal and spatial measurements of the abundance of ions from the distal end of said quadrupole;
• reconstructing a mass spectrum by deconvolving said reference signal from the acquired ion measurements, thus providing estimates of ion abundance at regular time intervals;
• transforming the time points where estimates were provided into mass-to-charge ratios, thereby forming a (sampled) mass spectrum;
• and
• and reconstructing a list of distinct m/z values and estimated intensities from the deconvolved mass spectrum.