DETECTION OF SINGLE RHODAMINE-6G MOLECULES IN LEVITATED MICRODROPLETS

Single Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in levitated glycerol microdroplets have been detected with signal-to-noise ratios of >40 using CW laser-induced fluorescence. The fluorescence signal from single R6G molecules was identified by the magnitude of the fluorescence signal and by the unique time dependence of the fluorescence count rate before photobleaching. This high sensitivity allows single molecules to be counted by use of a digital detection approach offering significantly lower detection limits than those possible with conventional detection methods.