On the improvement of signal repeatability in laser-induced air plasmas

The relatively low repeatability of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) severely hinders its wide commercialization. In the present work, we investigate the optimization of LIBS system for repeatability improvement for both signal generation (plasma evolution) and signal collection. Timeintegrated spectra and images were obtained under different laser energies and focal lengths to investigate the optimum configuration for stable plasmas and repeatable signals. Using our experimental setup, the optimum conditions were found to be a laser energy of 250 mJ and a focus length of 100 mm. A stable and homogeneous plasma with the largest hot core area in the optimum condition yielded the most stable LIBS signal. Time-resolved images showed that the rebounding processes through the air plasma evolution caused the relative standard deviation (RSD) to increase with laser energies of > 250 mJ. In addition, the emission collection was improved by using a concave spherical mirror. The line intensities doubled as their RSDs decreased by approximately 25%. When the signal generation and collection were optimized simultaneously, the pulse-to-pulse RSDs were reduced to approximately 3% for O(I), N(I), and H(I) lines, which are better than the RSDs reported for solid samples and showed great potential for LIBS quantitative analysis by gasifying the solid or liquid samples.     

Analysis of Minerals and Rocks by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was applied for rapid analysis of major and minor elements composing geological samples including minerals, rocks, and a soil sample. The plasma was produced in air at atmospheric pressure by focusing on the targets a pulsed infrared Nd:YAG laser in open-path configuration. The emitted light in the UV-Vis was analyzed by a compact LIBS system to measure spectral emission lines of Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg, C, Cu, Mn, and Ti. The experimental issues relevant for the analysis of the different samples were investigated by taking into account their peculiar features: drilling through a weathered layer, roughness and grain-size considerations, statistical averaging, and accuracy of the measurements. In this approach, the characterization of the samples was achieved by studying the relative variations of the emission intensities of each element normalized with respect to an internal standard. The present study shows the usefulness of LIBS as a tool for reliable identification of field samples.     

飞秒激光成丝诱导Cu等离子体的温度和电子密度

研究了飞秒激光成丝诱导铜击穿光谱,利用光发射光谱对产生的铜等离子体光谱强度沿着丝长度进行了测量,获得了在不同样品与聚焦透镜间距离的Cu(I)的强度分布.结果显示,由于强度钳箍效应成丝诱导的光谱在较大的透镜样品间距离范围内有较强的辐射强度.另外,利用玻尔兹曼图和斯塔克展宽计算了整个成丝繁衍距离中Cu等离子体温度和电子密度.     

Review of Laser-Induced Plasma,Its Mechanism,and Application to Quantitative Analysis of Hydrogen and Deuterium

Abstract

A comprehensive review of important progress achieved over the last 30 years regarding knowledge of laser-induced plasmas generated by CO₂ and Nd:YAG lasers in a variety of ambient gases is presented in this article, as well as research results on the extension of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for quantitative analysis of light elements, especially hydrogen and deuterium. First, the formation of shock wave–induced expanding secondary plasma in low-pressure ambient gases is discussed along with the dynamic characteristics of the secondary plasma expansion process. The unique advantages of low-pressure gas plasma are explained in relation to the successful detection of the sharp H and D emission lines. The experimental results using helium ambient gas are presented with emphasis on the role of He gas plasma in introducing an additional delayed excitation mechanism involving the helium metastable excited state, which resulted in the complete resolution of H and D emission lines, separated by only 0.18 nm. The development of a laser precleaning treatment and special double-pulse techniques further produced a linear calibration line with zero intercept applicable to quantitative H and D analyses of zircaloy sample, with either low- or high-pressure ambient He gas. More recent use of a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO₂ laser in place of an Nd:YAG laser has demonstrated the much desired larger excited helium plasma and thereby resulted in significant emission enhancement and improved detection sensitivity.     

The polarization characteristics of single shot nanosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of Al

The polarization-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (PRLIBS) technique, which can significantly reduce the polarized emission from laser plasma by placing a polarizer in front of the detector, is a powerful tool to improve the line-to-continuum ratio in LIBS applications. It is shown that the continuum emission from the plasma produced through ablating an Al sample by nanosecond laser pulses is much more polarized than the discrete line emission with the singlepulse PRLIBS technique. The effects of laser fluence and detection angle on the Al polarization spectrum are systematically explored experimentally. The calculated result of the polarization spectrum as a function of laser fluence shows that it is in agreement with the experimental observations.     

Femtosecond laser-induced Cu plasma spectra at different laser polarizations and sample temperatures

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a good technique for detecting and analyzing material elements due to the plasma emission produced by the high-power laser pulse. Currently, a significant topic of LIBS research is improving the emission intensity of LIBS. This study investigated the effect of laser-polarization on femtosecond laser-ablated Cu plasma spectra at different sample temperatures. The measured lines under circularly polarized lasers were higher than those under linearly and elliptically polarized lasers. The enhancement effect was evident at higher Cu temperatures when comparing the plasma spectra that have circular and linear polarizations for different target temperatures. To understand the influence of laser-polarization and sample temperature on signal intensity, we calculated the plasma temperature (PT) and electron density (ED) . The change in PT and ED was consistent with the change in the atomic lines as the laser polarization was being adjusted. When raising the Cu temperature, the PT increased while the ED decreased. Raising the Cu temperature whilst adjusting the laser-polarization is effective for improving the signal of femtosecond LIBS compared to raising the initial sample temperature alone or only changing the laser polarization.     

样品温度和空间约束两种方法相结合对激光诱导击穿光谱的影响

升高样品温度和采用空间约束能提高激光诱导击穿光谱的信号强度,两种技术的结合可以进一步提高激光诱导击穿光谱的光谱强度.本文在空气环境中研究了升高样品温度和空间约束效应两种方法相结合对激光诱导击穿光谱的影响,测量了激光诱导铝等离子体的时间分辨光谱.实验结果表明:升高样品温度能增加激光诱导击穿光谱的信号强度,高温样品能耦合更...     

基于自吸收量化的激光诱导等离子体表征方法

为了表征激光诱导等离子体的定量特征参数,提出了一种谱线自吸收量化的方法,通过获得分析元素谱线的半高全宽来量化谱线自吸收程度,进而得到等离子体的特征参数,包括电子温度、元素含量比以及辐射物质的绝对数密度.与传统激光诱导击穿光谱定量分析方法相比,新方法由于计算过程与谱线强度弱相关,所以分析结果基本不受自吸收效应的影响,同时也无需额外的光谱效率校准.基于铝锂合金的实验结果表明,该方法能够实现精确的相对定量分析和等离子体的特性诊断.     

土壤重金属铬元素的激光诱导击穿光谱定量分析研究

利用Nd ∶YAG脉冲激光器(波长:1064 nm)作为光源,在实验室自然大气环境下诱导产生土壤激光等离子体,通过等离子体原子发射光谱法定量分析了国家标准土壤样品中元素Cr的含量.实验上研究了在最佳实验条件下土壤中Cr的LIBS分析谱线,测定了Cr元素的定标曲线.实验结果表明,Cr元素浓度在(60—400)×10^-6范围内,元素含量与光谱线强度之间有较好的线性关系;元素Cr浓度分析测量的相对标准偏差(RSD)为7.89%,定量分析结果与标准值的相对偏差为5.3%,Cr元素的检测限为1 关键词： 土壤污染 定量分析 激光诱导击穿光谱 定标曲线     

激光诱导击穿光谱技术及应用研究进展

激光诱导击穿光谱（LIBS）技术是一种基于原子发射光谱学的元素定性、定量检测手段。本文介绍了LIBS技术的原理、应用方式、检测元素种类及检测极限;综述了该项技术在固体、液体、气体组分检测方面的技术发展,以及在环境检测、食品安全、生物医药、材料、军事、太空领域的应用进展。最后,提出了高功率、高稳定的激光光源和准确的定量分析方法是LIBS技术目前所面临的问题和挑战。     

Determination of Chloride Content in Different Types of Cement Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The characterization and accurate determination of the chloride content in cement/concrete is very important for the assessment of the durability and safety of a concrete structure. The available analytical techniques are relatively expensive and time consuming. In this study, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was used for determination of elemental composition in three different types of cement samples. The plasma was generated by focusing a pulsed Nd: YAG laser at 1064 nm on the cement samples. The concentrations of different elements of significance for structural stability in cement samples were determined. The evaluation of the potential and the capabilities of LIBS as a rapid tool for characterization of cement samples is discussed. The optimum LIBS setup and experimental conditions to detect and measure chloride in building materials are reported. The LIBS results were compared with the results obtained using a standard analytical technique such as inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP–ES). The limits of detection were determined, and calibration curves were measured. The results of this investigation indicate the reliability of LIBS to characterize different cement samples and to assess the chloride content in these cements.     

Mechanism of signal uncertainty generation for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Relatively large measurement uncertainty severely hindered wide application for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), therefore it is of great importance to understand the mechanism of signal uncertainty generation, including initiation and propagation. It has been found that the fluctuation of plasma morphology was the main reason for signal uncertainty. However, it still remains unclear what mechanism leads to laser-induced plasma morphology fluctuation. In the present work, we employed three fast-imaging cameras to capture three successive plasma images from a same laser-induced Titanium alloy plasma, which enables us to understand more clearly of the plasma evolution process especially for the early plasma evolution stage when plasma and surrounding gases interact drastically. Seen from the images, the plasma experienced an increasing morphological fluctuation as delay time increased, transforming from a “stable plasma” before the delay time of 100 ns to a “fluctuating plasma” after the delay time of 300 ns. Notably, the frontier part of plasma showed a significant downward motion from the delay time of 150 ns to 200 ns and crashed with the lower part of the plasma, making the plasma flatter and later even splitting the plasma into two parts, which was considered as a critical process for the transformation of “stable plasma” to “unstable plasma”. By calculating the correlation coefficient of plasma image pairs at successive delay times, it was found that the higher the similarity between two plasma at early stage, the more similar at later stage; this implied that the tiny plasma fluctuation earlier than the critical delay time (150–200 ns) was amplified, causing a large plasma fluctuation at the later stage as well as LIBS measurement uncertainty. The initiation of slight fluctuation was linked with Rayleigh–Taylor Instability (RTI) due to the drastic material interpenetration at the plasma-ambient gas interface at earlier stage (before 50 ns). That is, the uncertainty generation of LIBS was proposed as: plasma morphology fluctuation was inevitably trigged by RTI at the early stage and the tiny fluctuation was amplified by the back pressed downward process of plasma frontier material, leading to severe morphology fluctuation as well as LIBS signal uncertainty.     

1064 nm Nd:YAG激光诱导铁等离子体特征参数的研究

利用1064 nm Nd:YAG激光器研究了激光诱导铁条等离子体的特征参数。为了减小测量误差和谱线自发辐射跃迁几率不确定性带来的计算误差,采用改进的迭代Boltzmann方法精确求解铁等离子体的电子温度为8058 K。Lorentz函数拟合Fe I 376.553 nm得到等离子体的电子数密度为8.71017 cm-3。分析表明等离子体的加热机制主要是逆轫致过程,其吸收系数是0.14 cm-1。实验数据证实激光诱导铁等离子体处于局部热力学平衡状态和光学薄状态。     

激光诱导击穿光谱在核分析实验教学中的应用

为了适应核物理与核分析实验教学的需要,本文将激光诱导激光光谱测量以创新实验的形式引入到核工程类专业实验中.通过将纳秒激光脉冲与不同靶材作用,测量样品中各类元素的LIBS谱线,结合理论分析提取激光等离子体的电子温度和等离子体密度.假设单一元素谱线获得的等离子体密度为混合样品等离子体密度,计算得到未知重元素Fe的原子谱线展宽参数.     

激光诱导击穿光谱机理及爆炸物研究

激光诱导击穿光谱(LIBS)技术是基于激光诱导等离子体发光探测物质成分的方法。激光诱导等离子体的发射谱线由两部分组成:一部分是电子-离子复合及自由电子相互作用辐射的宽带连续谱;另一部分是原子和离子发射的特征谱线。对这些谱线进行识别并测量其强度,给出物质成分的定性和定量信息。分别讨论了样品所附着的基质为金属和电介质的两种情况,并对ns和fs级激光脉宽的影响作了介绍。     

Development in the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in recent years: A review

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been widely studied due to its unique advantages such as remote sensing, real-time multi-elemental detection and none-to-little damage. With the efforts of researchers around the world, LIBS has been developed by leaps and bounds. Moreover, in recent years, more and more Chinese LIBS researchers have put tremendous energy in promoting LIBS applications. It is worth mentioning that the application of LIBS in a specific field has its special application background and technical difficulties, therefore it may develop in different stages. A review summarizing the current development status of LIBS in various fields would be helpful for the development of LIBS technology as well as its applications especially for Chinese LIBS community since most of the researchers in this field work in application. In the present work, we summarized the research status and latest progress of main research groups in coal, metallurgy, and water, etc. Based on the current research status, the challenges and opportunities of LIBS were evaluated, and suggestions were made to further promote LIBS applications.     

Feasibility of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Study of the Temporal Distribution of Trace Elements Trapped in Snow Collected from Greater Himalayan Range

The potential merit of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been demonstrated for detection and quantification of trace pollutants trapped in snow/ice samples. In this technique, a high-power pulsed laser beam from Nd:YAG Laser (Model no. Surelite III-10, Continuum, Santa Clara, CA, USA) is focused on the surface of the target to generate plasma. The characteristic emissions from laser-generated plasma are collected and recorded by a fiber-coupled LIBS 2000+ (Ocean Optics, Santa Clara, CA, USA) spectrometer. The fingerprint of the constituents present in the sample is obtained by analyzing the spectral lines by using OOI LIBS software. Reliable detection of several elements like Zn, Al, Mg, Fe, Ca, C, N, H, and O in snow/ice samples collected from different locations (elevation) of Manali and several snow samples collected from the Greater Himalayan region (from a cold lab in Manali, India) in different months has been demonstrated. The calibration curve approach has been adopted for the quantitative analysis of these elements like Zn, Al, Fe, and Mg. Our results clearly demonstrate that the level of contamination is higher in those samples that were collected in the month of January in comparison to those collected in February and March.     

Optical emission from laser-produced chromium and magnesium plasma under the effect of two sequential laser pulses

Parametric study of optical emission from two successive laser pulses produced chromium and magnesium plasma is presented. The line emission from chromium and magnesium plasma showed an increase by more than six times for double laser pulse excitation than for single-pulse excitation. An optimum increase in emission intensity was noted for inter-pulse delay of ∼2–3 μs for all the elements. The experimental observations were qualitatively explained on the basis of absorption of second laser pulse in the pre-formed (by first laser) coronal plasma by inverse Bremsstrahlung process, which were found responsible for the excitation of more ions and atoms in the plasma. This process starts as the plasma scale length becomes greater than the laser wavelength. This study further indicated the suitability of this technique in the field of elemental analysis     

A highly-sensitive automatic transient laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system with high temporal and spatial resolution

A highly-sensitive automatic transient laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) system is designed and integrated.It successfully avoids the delay time selecting problem in the conventional LIBS system,and realizes the LIBS data acquisition with high spatiotemporal resolution automatically.Multiple transient spectra can be obtained in each measurement,which will provide more information for spectral research.The water-vapour and liquid-water Raman scattering spectra are captured by this system,and the comparison of experimental water-vapour Raman scattering spectrum with theoretical data verifies the reliability of the LIBS system.Based on this system,the air laser induced air breakdown spectra are captured and analysed.The system is also useful for the research on water-vapour Raman Lidar remote sensing.     

Detection of explosives with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Our recent work on the detection of explosives by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is reviewed in this paper. We have studied the physical mechanism of laser-induced plasma of an organic explosive, TNT. The LIBS spectra of TNT under single-photon excitation are simulated using MATLAB. The variations of the atomic emission lines intensities of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen versus the plasma temperature are simulated too. We also investigate the time-resolved LIBS spectra of a common inorganic explosive, black powder, in two kinds of surrounding atmospheres, air and argon, and find that the maximum value of the O atomic emission line SBR of black powder occurs at a gate delay of 596 ns. Another focus of our work is on using chemometic methods such as principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to distinguish the organic explosives from organic materials such as plastics. A PLS-DA model for classification is built. TNT and seven types of plastics are chosen as samples to test the model. The experimental results demonstrate that LIBS coupled with the chemometric techniques has the capacity to discriminate organic explosive from plastics.