Spectral correction strategy based on beam shaping with image-assisted calibration for enhancing LIBS accuracy

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate material composition detection is crucial for industrial, environmental, and geological applications.
• Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers remote, multi-element detection but suffers from quantitative accuracy issues due to plasma evolution interferences.
• Existing LIBS improvement strategies include plasma modulation (beam shaping) and data processing (image-assisted methods).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a hybrid method integrating beam shaping and image-assisted techniques for comprehensive LIBS improvement.
• To assess the impact of the hybrid method on quantitative analysis accuracy across different elements.
• To investigate the role of beam shaping in reducing element-specific dependencies observed with image-assisted methods.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid approach combining beam shaping for plasma modulation and image-assisted methods for data processing was proposed.
• The method was evaluated by analyzing the quantitative accuracy of various elements (Si, Cr, Ni, Mn) using calibration curves.
• Key performance metrics, including determination coefficients (R²), root-mean-square-error (RMSE), and average relative error (ARE), were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The hybrid method demonstrated significant improvements in LIBS quantitative analysis accuracy.
• Determination coefficients (R²) for Si, Cr, Ni, and Mn approached 0.99.
• Maximum RMSE and ARE were substantially reduced for most elements, from 0.1556 wt% and 151.13% to 0.0435 wt% and 38.00%, respectively.
• Beam shaping was found to reduce element-specific dependencies, leading to more consistent enhancements.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hybrid method offers a promising strategy to enhance the analytical capabilities of LIBS.
• This approach effectively addresses limitations in quantitative accuracy, paving the way for broader commercialization of LIBS technology.
• The integration of physical modulation and analytical optimization leads to more robust and reliable material composition analysis.