Utilization of moderate cylindrical confinement for precision improvement of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy signal

Moderate cylindrical cavity was used to regularize the laser-induced plasma for signal strength enhancement and precision improvement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plate of 1.5 mm thickness with diameter of 3 mm was fabricated. It was placed closely on a sample surface and a laser pulse was shot through the center of the hole to the sample. Using coal as samples, it was verified that the configuration both enhanced the spectral line intensity and reduced shot-to-shot fluctuation, showing its great potential in improving the precision of LIBS analysis. (c) 2012 Optical Society of America