Two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas

We use a two-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy technique to measure the coupled absorption and emission properties of atomic species in plasmas produced via laser ablation of a solid aluminum target at atmospheric pressure. Emission spectra from the Al I 394.4 nm and Al I 396.15 nm transitions are measured while a frequency-doubled, continuous wave (cw) Ti: sapphire laser is tuned across the Al I 396.15 nm transition. The resulting two-dimensional spectra show the energy coupling between the two transitions via increased emission intensity for both transitions during resonant absorption of the cw laser at one transition. Time-delayed, gated detection of the emission spectrum is used to isolate resonantly excited fluorescence emission from thermally excited emission from the plasma. In addition, the tunable cw laser measures the absorption spectrum of the Al transition with ultrahigh resolution after the plasma has cooled, resulting in narrower spectral line-widths than observed in emission spectra. Our results highlight that fluorescence spectroscopy employing cw laser re-excitation after pulsed laser ablation combines benefits of both traditional emission and absorption spectroscopic methods. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America