A sensitive detection method for high resolution spectroscopy of trapped antihydrogen, hydrogen and other trapped species

A method for detection of the weak 1s–2s laser excitation of a few trapped antihydrogen atoms is described. It involves the typical antihydrogen trapping environment that combines a magnetic trap for the atoms as well as a Penning trap for its constituent particles. By photoionization of the excited state the photoion can be kept in a weak Penning trap and at a suitable time be ejected towards a charged particle detector such as a microchannel plate or a channel electron multiplier. Since it does not rely on annihilation, the method is also suitable for trapped hydrogen and may find application with other species when a weak transition to a metastable state is intended and only a few trapped atoms or molecules are available.