First ionization potential measurements using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study measures the first ionization potentials of several neutral atoms using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, providing experimental data through threshold analysis of plasma formation.

Contribution

It introduces a method to determine ionization potentials from laser-induced optical breakdown thresholds in laboratory air.

Findings

Ionization potentials of Al, Ag, Pb, In, and Cu measured.

Values obtained are consistent with known data within error margins.

Method demonstrates potential for atomic property measurements using LIBS.

Abstract

The first ionization potential of neutral atoms is determined from thresholds of laser-induced optical breakdown. Bulk material ablation plasma of aluminum, silver, lead, indium and copper is created in laboratory air with focused, 5-ns pulsed Nd:YAG, 1064 nm IR radiation. At fixed spot size of 2 $\pm$ 0.1 mm, the laser fluence is varied from 16 to 3 J/cm$^2$. The first ionization potentials of the lines Al I 396.2, Ag I 520.9, Pb I 405.8 and 406.2, In I 410.2 and Cu I 515.3 nm are measured to amount to 5.9 $\pm$ 0.2, 7.6 $\pm$ 0.3, 7.4 $\pm$ 0.2, 5.8 $\pm$ 0.1 and 7.7 $\pm$ 0.2 eV, respectively.