Virtual Journal of Laser

Alexander A. Bol'shakov, Jong H. Yoo, Chunyi Liu, John R. Plumer, Richard E. Russo
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers rapid, localized chemical analysis of solid or liquid materials with high spatial resolution in lateral and depth profiling, without the need for sample preparation. Principal component analysis and partial least squares algorithms were applied to ... [Appl. Opt. 49, C132-C142 (2010)]

Geunsik Lim, Upul P. DeSilva, Nathaniel R. Quick, Aravinda Kar
Laser optical gas sensors are fabricated by using the crystalline silicon carbide polytype 6H-SiC, which is a wide-bandgap semiconductor, and tested at high temperatures up to 650°C. The sensor operates on the principle of semiconductor optics involving both the semiconductor and optical ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 1563-1573 (2010)]

X. N. He, X. K. Shen, T. Gebre, Z. Q. Xie, L. Jiang, Y. F. Lu
Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and spectroscopic temperature determination were carried out to study C_2H_4/C_2H_2/O_2 flames used for diamond deposition with and without an excitation by a wavelength-tunable CO_2 laser. Strong emissions from C_2 and CH radicals were observed in the visible ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 1555-1562 (2010)]

Shin-ichi Zaitsu, Totaro Imasaka
We proposed and demonstrated a novel method for the evaluation of optical pulse trains generated by a multifrequency continuous-wave Raman laser operating at a mode separation of 17.6 THz. This approach is based on the detection of a nonlinear signal arising from the intensity modulation of a pulse ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 1586-1592 (2010)]

Nicole Brimhall, Nicholas Herrick, David D. Allred, R. Steven Turley, Michael Ware, Justin Peatross
We use a laser high-harmonics-based extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) polarimeter to determine the optical constants of elemental uranium in the wavelength range from 10 to 47 nm. The constants are extracted from the measured ratio of p-polarized to s-polarized reflectance from a thin uranium film ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 1581-1585 (2010)]

Jeremiah J. Remus, Jennifer L. Gottfried, Russell S. Harmon, Anne Draucker, Dirk Baron, Robert Yohe
Over the past quarter century, multielement chemical analysis has become a common means for attributing the provenance of archaeological materials. The Coso Volcanic Field (CVF) in California, USA, contains at least 38 high-silica rhyolite domes, many of which contain obsidian glass that has been ... [Appl. Opt. 49, C120-C131 (2010)]

Michael E. Asgill, Michael S. Brown, Kyle Frische, William M. Roquemore, David W. Hahn
We explore the use of a combination of double-pulse and single-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) methodologies as a means of differentiating between solid-phase and gaseous-phase analytes (namely, carbon) in an aerosol stream. A range of spectral data was recorded for double-pulse ... [Appl. Opt. 49, C110-C119 (2010)]

Yuji Ikeda, Ahsa Moon, Masashi Kaneko
We propose microwave-enhanced spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy with the same measurement and analysis processes as in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, but with a different plasma generation mechanism. The size and lifetime of the plasma generated can contribute to increased measurement ... [Appl. Opt. 49, C95-C100 (2010)]

Zhijiang Chen, Yogesh Godwal, Ying Yin Tsui, Robert Fedosejevs
Water contaminated with toxic heavy metals can be a great risk to humans. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising candidate to monitor heavy metals in aqueous solutions on site, but the sensitivity is still a major problem. To perform sensitive analysis of analyte metals in ... [Appl. Opt. 49, C87-C94 (2010)]

Galiya Sharafutdinova, John Holdsworth, Dirk van Helden
Excitation laser spatial and temporal characteristics at the objective focal point are critical to the performance of two-photon scanning microscopes. Optical aberrations in scanning systems increase the microscope objective focal spot area and introduce pulse time broadening in the deflected beam, ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 1472-1479 (2010)]