Double Pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS): A Comprehensive technique Review

Abstract

Double pulse-laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS) is one of the most widely adopted variants of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for rapid elemental analysis. DP-LIBS is an effective way of improving the emission line intensities and increasing the analytical capabilities of conventional LIBS. We comprehensively overviewed different aspects of DP-LIBS from fundaments to applications. The key mechanisms of pre-ablation, reheating, and interpulse delay have been discussed. Different geometrical configurations for the two pulses including collinear, cross-beam, orthogonal pre-ablation, and orthogonal reheating are outlined. The pulse durations of the ablating laser have a huge impact on the ablation process, thus, the effects of the temporal settings of the laser pulse duration are explained. This includes ns-ns, fs-fs, fs-ns, and long short DP-LIBS. The impacts of double-pulse LIBS on the ablation process and analytical outcomes such as signal intensity, repeatability, ablation rate, crater and plasma size, and plasma parameters are encapsulated. Finally, several DP-LIBS applications from metal and alloy analysis and explosive detection to industrial analysis have been stipulated. DP-LIBS approach results in a notable enhancement in the emission intensity; however, repeatability is a key parameter to consider for meaningful applications. Among different temporal configurations, long-short DP-LIBS provides relatively smoother and greater interaction of the laser beam with the plasma plume and sample, hence giving a more temporally efficient energy delivery to the plasma and sample making it more suitable for intensity enhancement and signal improvement among other variants.