Trace analysis of rubidium hyperfine structure in a flame atomizer using sub-Doppler laser wave-mixing spectroscopy
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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown
Published on: February 14, 2014
Kenneth M Weed1, William G Tong
1Department of Chemistry, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA.
Abstract:
Nonlinear laser wave mixing is a versatile spectroscopic method for trace elemental analysis at high spectral resolution. Sub-Doppler spectral resolution allows isotope and hyperfine structure measurements of some of the elements even when using a room-pressure analytical flame (i.e., sub-Doppler but Lorentzian broadened spectra). A non-planar wave-mixing optical setup offers some advantages as compared to the conventional planar wave-mixing setup including better signal collection efficiency and easier optical alignment. Using our absorption-based wave mixing, a detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL (i.e., 50 parts-per-trillion) is reported for Rb in an air/acetylene flame, while still maintaining sub-Doppler spectral resolution for the infrared 780.0-nm Rb transition line.
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