Photon counting detectors for laser spectroscopy experiments at ESR and SPECTRAP

GSI has an active program of laser spectroscopy experiments with highly charged heavy ions. The focus of the measurements is on the study of fundamental interactions in extreme electric and magnetic fields, like they are available in few-electron configurations of these heavy ions. The applied experimental methods comprise on the one hand laser spectroscopy of relativistic ions in storage rings and on the other hand high-precision laser spectroscopy of ions stored at cryogenic temperatures in Penning traps. The transitions of interest in these measurements span a wide wavelength range from the near infrared to extreme vacuum UV. It is therefore necessary to develop a range of different detection systems adapted to the actual experimental situation and able to reliably detect lowest rates of emitted fluorescence photons at the given wavelength. The talk will give an overview of the different detection systems developed at the University of Münster for laser spectroscopy experiments at ESR and SPECTRAP.