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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
Practical high-resolution detection method for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Andrew J Effenberger1, Jill R Scott
1Interfacial Chemistry, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415, USA.
Applied Optics
|March 14, 2012
Summary
A novel Fabry-Perot etalon coupled with a Czerny-Turner spectrometer achieves high-resolution laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements. This cost-effective system resolves fine spectral details, rivaling larger, more expensive instruments.
Area of Science:
- Atomic Spectroscopy
- Analytical Chemistry
- Optical Instrumentation
Background:
- High-resolution measurements are crucial for detailed elemental analysis in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).
- Traditional high-resolution spectrometers are often large, expensive, and complex.
- Developing compact, cost-effective systems for high-resolution LIBS is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a high-resolution LIBS system using an inexpensive Fabry-Perot etalon coupled to a Czerny-Turner spectrometer.
- To demonstrate the system's capability in resolving fine spectral features, such as the mercury (Hg) emission doublet.
- To assess the performance of the developed system against established high-resolution spectrometers.
Main Methods:
- Coupling a Fabry-Perot etalon to a standard 0.5 m imaging Czerny-Turner spectrometer.
- Utilizing the mercury (Hg) emission doublet at 313.2 nm (29 pm splitting) as a performance benchmark.
- Acquiring spectra from a continuous-source Hg lamp and LIBS spectra of cinnabar (HgS) under a helium atmosphere.
- Measuring the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Hg doublet line at varying helium pressures.
Main Results:
- The coupled etalon and spectrometer system successfully resolved the 313.2 nm Hg emission doublet from a continuous Hg lamp in 2 seconds.
- The Hg doublet was also resolved in LIBS spectra of cinnabar (HgS) after 600 laser shots (1 minute) in a helium atmosphere.
- The system demonstrated high resolution comparable to, and competitive with, large 2 m double-pass Czerny-Turner spectrometers.
- Reported FWHM values for the 313.1844 nm line at different helium pressures.
Conclusions:
- The integration of an inexpensive Fabry-Perot etalon with a Czerny-Turner spectrometer provides a high-performance, cost-effective solution for high-resolution LIBS.
- This compact system offers a viable alternative to larger, more expensive spectrometers for detailed spectral analysis.
- The demonstrated ability to resolve fine spectral features, like the Hg doublet, highlights its potential for various analytical applications.
