Natural water and ice are currently used as optical detection media in large scale neutrino telescopes, such as IceCube, KM3NeT/ANTARES and GVD. When charged particles, such as those produced by high energy neutrino interactions, pass through ice or water at relativistic speeds they induce Cherenkov light emission. These photons are recorded by the optical sensors of neutrino telescopes. However, slower moving particles, including potential exotic matter such as Magnetic Monopoles or Q-balls, cannot be recorded using this detection channel.

New kinds of signatures can be detected by using light emission from luminescence in water or ice. This light is induced by highly ionizing particles passing through a medium and exciting the surrounding matter. This detection channel enables searches for exotic particles which are too slow to induce Cherenkov light emission and currently cannot be probed by neutrino telescopes. Luminescence light is possibly highly dependent on the ice quality, solubles, and temperature. Therefore a comprehensive study is demanded.

To utilize luminescence as a new detection channel in neutrino telescopes, laboratory measurements using water and ice as well as an in-situ measurement in Antarctic ice were performed. The experiments as well the measurement results will be presented covering light yields, spectra and decay times. The impact on searches for new physics with neutrino telescopes will be discussed.