NIST Method Extends Sensitivity Threshold

From a January 2005 press release, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a laser-based methodology that can identify a single atom or molecule hidden among ten trillion others. Initially envisioned as a portable “optical nose” for atmospheric monitoring, this technology may soon find its way from the lab into the real world. The technique is believed to be more than 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional methods.