Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy LIBS

LIBS is a technique for elemental analysis based on atomic emission. In the focus of an intense short-pulsed laser, a plasma spark is generated, leading to ablation (in case of solid and liquid samples), to dissociation, and to excitation of the atoms in the plasma plume. After a short decay time in the range of microseconds, specific elemental emission can be detected, which quantitatively represents the composition of the initial sample. The technique can also be employed for particle counting.