LIBS

Wednesday's program at SciX 2026 kept returning to one question: can spectroscopy perform outside the controlled laboratory? Speakers took surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), mid-infrared photonics, chemometrics, and fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy into clinics, food plants, reactor coolant loops, brine fields, and drinking water supplies.

The 2026 SciX Conference will offer an assortment of short courses during the conference week in Sparks, Nevada. We highlight these courses below.

A recent study presented a new system for testing metal contamination on microplastics.

This evergreen Q&A explores the latest trends and advancements in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Atomic spectroscopy has quietly moved past splitting light and counting ions toward instruments that track a single nanoparticle, fuse a laser pulse with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer, and correct their own interferences with artificial intelligence in real time. The result is a new class of ICP-MS, LIBS, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) platforms that are turning what used to be a benchtop-only science into field-ready, self-optimizing analytical intelligence.

A study using fiber laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (FL-LIBS) to evaluate how pulse width and repetition rate affect the quantitative analysis of elements in aluminum alloys, reporting improved detection sensitivity and limit of detection at high repetition rate.

Top articles published this week include a preview of an upcoming presentation at the American Chemical Society (ACS) 2026 Fall Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has moved from the laboratory to the field, offering rapid, in situ elemental analysis of minerals, rocks, soils, and meteorites with minimal sample preparation. This practical tutorial covers LIBS instrumentation, field sampling best practices, quantification methods, common pitfalls, and emerging applications in geoscience.

Handheld spectroscopy tools are being used to identify food fraud.

A recent study showcased an auto-focusing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) imaging system that uses a motor-driven focusing mirror to track surface height changes in real time, cutting signal variability on irregular surfaces and improving spectral stability more than eightfold compared to conventional static systems.

A comprehensive introduction to LIBs coverage published in Spectroscopy Online from 2022–2025.

The 2024-2026 period has been marked by rapid methodological innovation and critical reassessment of established atomic spectrometric techniques in environmental analysis. Advances in inductively coupled plasma–tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) reaction-cell chemistry, matrix-effect correction in X-ray fluorescence (XRF), microwave-sustained plasma sources, and green preconcentration strategies have expanded analytical capabilities for soils, waters, sediments, plants, and atmospheric particulates. Simultaneously, comparative evaluations of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and XRF have sharpened our understanding of detection limits, bias, and field applicability. This brief review highlights 10 of the most influential publications shaping environmental applications of XRF, ICP-MS, and ICP-OES during 2024–2026. Each paper is discussed with emphasis on its technical contributions and broader impact on environmental monitoring, regulatory science, and instrumental development.

In this article, we highlight some of the important talks on atomic spectroscopy that will take place at Pittcon on Sunday March 8th.

A recent study demonstrated that combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with machine learning (ML) can accurately identify gunshot residue from nontoxic ammunition and reliably distinguish shooters from non-shooters despite the absence of traditional elemental markers.

In the lead-up to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, we reflect on some of the most pertinent ongoing trends in forensic analysis.

In the second part of our interview, Alex Scheeline discuss the current trends in SIBS and LIBS, and some of his observations from reading the recent literature on the subject.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses the key role that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plays in his research.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses the work that he does in his laboratory.

At the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will be giving a talk about using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for molten salt reactor monitoring. Andrews provides a preview of his upcoming talk here.

Discover how LIBS revolutionizes forensic science by enabling rapid, precise bone identification, overcoming challenges of traditional methods with advanced AI classification.

In this article, we focus on why LIBS is particularly ideal for forensic applications, especially for studying human or animal remains.

Jorge Caceres, a professor at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, sat down with Spectroscopy to discuss how LIBS works as a fast, simple, cost-effective, and analytically conclusive technique for confidently re-associating human bone remains.

Researchers in Germany have demonstrated in the journal Cement and Concrete Research that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a fast, accurate, and non-destructive method for estimating cement content in concrete.

This article provides a clear refresher on key spectroscopy techniques—IR/NIR, Raman, UV–Vis, XPS/XAS, NMR, ICP-MS, and LIBS—and their applications in the energy industry, from batteries and solar panels to fuel production and emissions monitoring.

Researchers at Tianjin University of Technology develop a rapid, in situ technique for identifying adulteration in starch sausages using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.