Detection Techniques for Trapped Ions

Abstract

Various techniques are used to detect the presence of charged particles stored in electromagnetic traps, their energy, their mass, or their internal states. Detection methods can rely on the variation of the number of trapped particles (destructive methods) or the use of the ion's interaction with electromagnetic radiation as a non-destructive tool to probe the trapped particles. This review gives an introduction into various methods, discussing the basic mode of operation completed by the description of recent realizations.