A mass spectrometry system that includes first and second ion sources that produce ions, the ions produced by the second ion source being calibration ions to calibrate the mass spectrometry system; an ion transfer device that receives the ions as a continuous stream during a first time period and forms a first ion packet as a single ion packet, such that during a second time period when the ion transfer device delivers the first ion packet, it receives the ions as a continuous stream to form a second ion packet by accumulating the incoming ions in another single ion packet, such that the ion transfer device separately delivers the formed ion packets at a frequency in a range from 1 to 1000 Hz; and a mass analyzer that separates the ions in the ion packets based on the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions.

An ion transfer device of a mass spectrometry system that includes a first ion guide such that the first ion guide traps the ions in a first potential well formed by a first potential gradient and a first potential barrier within the first ion guide, and a second ion guide that receives the ions from the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced such that during a time period when the ions travel toward one end of the second ion guide, a second potential barrier is gradually formed by increasing a third voltage applied to a third electrode at the one end of the second ion guide, the second potential barrier preventing the ions from exiting the second ion guide or from colliding with the third electrode.

An ion shuttling system includes a plurality of first electrodes connected to a system configured to selectively provide an ion movement control voltage to each electrode of the plurality of first electrodes, a voltage source configured to provide one or more compensation voltages, a plurality of compensation electrodes comprising a plurality of compensation electrode pairs, where each compensation electrode pair of the plurality of compensation electrode pairs is associated with one or more different first electrodes of the plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of switches, where each switch of the plurality of switches is connected at a respective first node to a compensation electrode of the plurality of compensation electrodes and is configured to selectively connect the respective compensation electrode to the voltage source.

An ion guiding system comprises a multipole ion guide having a plurality of multipole electrodes configured to provide a first confinement field. The ion guiding system also comprises an RF confinement device configured to provide a second confinement field, wherein the RF confinement device comprises a radio frequency (RF) surface having a plurality of RF electrodes. The ion guiding system also comprises an interface located in a transition region between the multipole ion guide and the RF surface, wherein the interface has a plurality of interface electrodes configured to provide an interface field that transitions between the first confinement field and the second confinement field. There is also provided a beam switching device for an analytical instrument comprising the ion guiding system; a mass spectrometer comprising the ion guiding system; and an ion mobility spectrometer comprising the ion guiding system.

An ion shuttling system includes a plurality of first electrodes connected to a system configured to selectively provide an ion movement control voltage to each electrode of the plurality of first electrodes, a voltage source configured to provide one or more compensation voltages, a plurality of compensation electrodes comprising a plurality of compensation electrode pairs, where each compensation electrode pair of the plurality of compensation electrode pairs is associated with one or more different first electrodes of the plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of switches, where each switch of the plurality of switches is connected at a respective first node to a compensation electrode of the plurality of compensation electrodes and is configured to selectively connect the respective compensation electrode to the voltage source.

A system is provided that includes: at least one radio frequency (RF) electrode extending along a first direction, the at least one RF electrode configured to generate an RF field, where a first RF electrode of the least one RF electrode is disposed in a substrate, and a plurality of direct current (DC) electrodes that are spaced apart along at least the first direction, the plurality of DC electrodes configured to generate an electric field, where the RF field and the electric field are configured to trap an ion at a first position, the first position being spaced apart from the substrate by a first distance, where each DC electrode of the plurality of DC electrodes has a respective width in the first direction that is less or equal to 0.2 times the first distance.