Evaluation of a compact high power pulsed fiber laser source for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to evaluate the potential of a fast growing laser technology, the fiber laser, in the field of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Many compact fiber lasers are now available, which produce a high quality beam and deliver sufficient energy to generate optically interesting plasmas for analytical purposes at very high repetition rates. This technology has not been yet seriously investigated for LIBS applications. We summarize here the main specifications and analytical performances of this laser source coupled to three different spectrometers for the analysis of aluminium samples. Limits of detection in the low µg g⁻¹ range are calculated for magnesium, copper, manganese, silicon, iron and chromium. Using a compact spectrometer, a low limit of detection of 1.1 µg g⁻¹ is obtained for magnesium in aluminium. Ablation craters produced on aluminium are also characterized. Finally, we briefly illustrate the possibilities of the fiber laser for the LIBS analysis of another matrix, calculating limits of detection that are below 20 µg g⁻¹ for silver, iron and nickel in copper.