Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, advances in resolution and portability

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), can be considered as one of the most dynamic and promising technique in the field of analytical spectroscopy. LIBS has turned into a powerful alternative for a wide front of applications, from the geological exploration to the industrial inspection, including the environmental monitoring, the biomedical analysis, the study of patrimonial works, the safety and defense. The advances in LIBS instrumentation have allowed improving gradually the analysis services and quality, on the basis of a better knowledge of the technology principles. Recently, systems of double pulse have facilitated a better dosing of energy, the improvement of the signal-noise relation and the study of the different process stages. Femtosecond lasers offers the possibility of study in detail the ablation and atomic emission processes. New advances like multi-pulse or multi-wavelength systems -in fact stilling without exploring, must offer new information to advance in this knowledge. Finally, which it does to this technology really attractive, is the aptitude to be employed in field conditions, or for the detection of the elementary composition at long distances. In this presentation there are discussed the designs of portable instrumentation, compact and low cost, which can improve substantially the LIBS possibilities. (Author)