Qualitative assessment of laser-induced breakdown spectra generated with a femtosecond fiber laser.

This paper presents what is to our knowledge the first evaluation of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) studies on elemental composition detection and identification by employing a femtosecond (fs) fiber laser. Qualitative LIBS spectra were obtained in ambient air using a 1030 nm fs fiber laser. Specific ion and neutral emission lines of different materials have been characterized, including metal, metal alloy, semiconductor, and glass. The performance and LIBS spectra of an intensified CCD (ICCD) system and a nonintensified CCD system were compared. Time-resolved emission spectra depicting the detailed plasma evolution was collected from sub-spot-size craters. The gated ICCD gives improved signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 20 compared with a nongated, nonintensified CCD system. This shows a potential portable and field-deployable LIBS system for versatile and rapid analysis of chemicals and special materials.