High-Resolution Studies in Ion Beams with Laser-Induced Resonances

Abstract

In order to observe energy-level splittings in free ions, we used a new technique based upon the superposition of a fixed-frequency c.w. laser beam and of a post-accelerated (or -decelerated) fast ion beam. Narrow spectral features observed in fluorescence under these conditions are easily identified within a simple hole-burning model. Implications of our results for high-resolution spectroscopy of free ions are discussed and an application is given in the case of hyperfine-structure measurements.