Resumen: A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of Xe136 is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba++) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (~2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9s over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.132504 Año: 2018 Publicado en: Physical Review Letters 120, 13 (2018), 132504 [6 pp] ISSN: 0031-9007 Factor impacto JCR: 9.227 (2018) Categ. JCR: PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 6 / 81 = 0.074 (2018) - Q1 - T1 Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 3.571 - Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) (Q1)