Spectroscopy of Laser-cooled Ions

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Abstract
This paper is a written version of an invited review talk given at the 11th National Quantum Electronics Conference in Belfast in September 1993. It discusses the use of trapped ions for spectroscopy in both the optical and microwave regions of the spectrum. After introductory comments on the advantages offered by ion traps and laser cooling for spectroscopy, we take the the example of spectroscopy of mercury ions to show how many different types of experiment can be performed, with striking results. We also discuss our recent work at Imperial College, which can be seen as spectroscopy of the ion trap itself, giving information on the dynamics of the trapped ions.