Very high sensitivity in collinear laser spectroscopy: resonance detection by particle counting techniques

Fast-beam collinear laser spectroscopy with resonance detection by counting of fluorescence photons provides a versatile tool for precise determinations of nuclear ground-state properties. The intrinsic high sensitivity of this method can be further increased by almost three orders of magnitude if measuring schemes based on ion or atom counting are introduced. The optical pumping from one atomic state to another at an appreciably different excitation energy is detected via state-selective collisional charge exchange processes and charge-state separated atom or ion counting. Applications of these techniques on alkaline earth, noble gas, mercury and thallium beams is examined.