Lasers and Laser-Source Technologies

A team of scientists from the Masschusetts Institute of Technology are combining Raman spectroscopy with holo-tomography to monitor early embryonic development.

Scientists from Moscow, Russia studied the dynamics of lithium plasma under laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using a custom system made using 3DLINE code.

A type of calcite whose name comes from a resource-rich basin in northwest China was earmarked as a promising reference material for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) in situ U–Pb dating.

To understand the physicochemical processes that occur during plasma expansion, scientists experimented on aluminum nitride (AlN) plasma using optical emission spectroscopy (OES).

At SciX, Johannes Pedarnig of Johannes Kepler University will be recognized as the 2023 SAS and Applied Spectroscopy William F. Meggers Award recipient. Here's a summary of the award session.

A recent investigation of the optical emission of plasma on industrial steel samples using LA-SD-OES and LIBS revealed new findings about the oxide composition of the slag layer.

Scientists from the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, used laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy to analyze opium and hashish, in order to achieve a novel method of drug analysis.

A group of scientists in China are using LIBS technology to help accurately classify recyclable waste.

Researchers at Université Paris-Saclay have successfully employed the novel laser-induced breakdown self-reversal isotopic spectrometry (LIBRIS) technique to achieve high-resolution isotopic analysis of lithium in solid-state electrolytes for lithium batteries. The breakthrough method offers valuable insights into lithium transport mechanisms at a microscale level, holding promise for the development of safer and more efficient Li-ion batteries in the future.

Researchers have developed a sum frequency generation spectroscopy setup to characterize the output profile of an infrared free electron laser, providing valuable insight into the development of more efficient and accurate lasers.

A brief history of fiber-optic bundles helps us understand how this technology how it has evolved from use in telecommunications to enabling extraction of three-dimensional (3D) information from two-dimensional (2D) images.

A 3D printer can shorten the time to make prototype hardware for spectrometers from weeks to days—or less.

Igor Gornushkin and colleagues at BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, Germany studied the feasibility of using optical spectroscopy as a control method for laser metal deposition, and he recently spoke to us about this work. Gornushkin is the 2022 recipient of the Lester W. Strock Award from the New England Chapter of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS).

Controlling methane is one of the highest-impact ways to reduce climate impacts, so its accurate measurement is essential. Spectroscopy offers valuable tools for this task.

High-performance instrumentation requires many critical components. We focus here on energy sources, lasers, and detectors.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to extraordinary developments of both testing methods and vaccines. Can spectroscopy play a role in next-generation testing for Covid and other pathogens?

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an ideal method for elemental analysis of geological samples, and has been used by NASA on the Mars rovers. This article details the methodology and the most successful calibration and quantification methods to date.

Uwe Karst of the University of Münster in Germany explains the use of laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging to provide spatially resolved quantification of trace elements in biological samples.

Uwe Karst of the University of Münster in Germany explains the use of laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging to provide spatially resolved quantification of trace elements in biological samples.

A frequency comb is a laser source, with evenly spaced narrow lines, potentially useful for spectroscopy applications, particularly as a source or for alignment of the wavelength axis.

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is combined with an extreme learning machine (ELM) model, tailored by genetic algorithm (GA) parameter searching, to produce a more robust analytical method for trace gas analysis of ethylene.

Tunable narrowband light sources are essential for measuring fluorescence, reaction energetics, and other challenging measurements in chemical, biological, and physical systems. In particular, the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is an indispensable tool.

New Raman spectroscopy applications are emerging in non-traditional fields because of advances in easy-to-use commercial Raman spectroscopy instrumentation. With improvements in lasers, optics, and detectors, Raman spectroscopy has developed into a powerful measurement solution for manufacturing and quality control applications.

Advances in lasers are expanding the capabilities of LIBS and laser ablation techniques.

On the occasion of Spectroscopy’s 35th birthday, I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to consider the amazing explosion in light sources for spectroscopy over the last few decades.

On the occasion of Spectroscopy’s 35th birthday, I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to consider the amazing explosion in light sources for spectroscopy over the last few decades.

LIBS has transitioned from a method found only in research laboratories, to a technique in wide use in commercial settings. Several leading LIBS experts share their views on how the technique has developed and where it is heading.

Geochronology is an exciting area of atomic spectroscopy and earth science research. One of the goals is to answer tectonic questions, and in particular, how the crust responds to continent–continent collision. John M. Cottle, a professor of earth science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is one of the scientists on that mission. Cottle and his research group are at the forefront of discovery in geochronology, combining both laboratory and field-based research. In particular, Cottle is a leader in the development of novel laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) measurements and their application to tectonic questions in convergent orogens, which are mountain ranges formed when a continental plate crumples and is pushed upwards.

For an emergent analytical technique to be adopted, its proponents must find applications where it offers significant benefits over established techniques, such as sensitivity, speed, cost, or ease of use, or some combination of those. For laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), identifying its ideal niche has been one of the challenges in gaining followers. To assess where LIBS is being used today, what new areas are emerging, and how well LIBS competes with other methods in those new areas, we asked a panel of experts for their views.

In honor of Spectroscopy’s celebration of 30 years covering the latest developments in materials analysis, we asked experts to assess the current state of the art of six key spectroscopic techniques. Here, the experts weigh in on the key challenges in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and how these problems might be solved.