In this paper, we study existence of isometric embedding of S q m into S p n , where 1 ≤ p ≠ q ≤ ∞ and n ≥ m ≥ 2. We show that for all n ≥ m ≥ 2 if there exists a linear isometry from S q m into S p n , where (q , p) ∈ (1 , ∞ ] × (1 , ∞) ∪ (1 , ∞) ∖ { 3 } × { 1 , ∞ } and p ≠ q , then we must have q = 2. This mostly generalizes a classical result of Lyubich and Vaserstein. We also show that whenever S q embeds isometrically into S p for (q , p) ∈ (1 , ∞) × [ 2 , ∞) ∪ [ 4 , ∞) × { 1 } ∪ { ∞ } × (1 , ∞) ∪ [ 2 , ∞) × { ∞ } with p ≠ q , we must have q = 2. Thus, our work complements work of Junge, Parcet, Xu and others on isometric and almost isometric embedding theory on non-commutative L p -spaces. Our methods rely on several new ingredients related to perturbation theory of linear operators, namely Kato-Rellich theorem, theory of multiple operator integrals and Birkhoff-James orthogonality, followed by thorough and careful case by case analysis. The question whether for m ≥ 2 and 1 < q < 2 , S q m embeds isometrically into S ∞ n , was left open in Bull. London Math. Soc. 52 (2020) 437-447. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]