Application of a Newly Built Chirped-Pulse Fourier Transform Microwave (CP-FTMW) Spectrometer to Study Biomolecules in the Gas Phase

Chirped-pulse Fourier Transform Microwave (CP-FTMW) spectroscopy is an exciting new technique that makes possible the recording of the complete microwave spectrum of a gas phase sample using a single 1 $\mu$s pulse.\footnote[2]{G.~G.~Brown et al. \textit{J.~Mol.~Spectrosc.} \textbf{238}, 200-212 (2006).} In this report, we will describe the recent introduction of a laser ablation nozzle for the study of small biomolecules using this technique. Potential applications to samples such as nucleic acid base pairs and small polypeptides will also be described.