Javier Laserna delivered a Plenary Lecture in European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry 2019, Pau (France) – February 2019

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: the secret life of surfaces and other captivating insights

Abstract
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), one of the most active elds in analytical spectroscopy, is reaching a considerable level of maturity both in instrumentation and in analytical methodology and applications. Development of LIBS instruments with extended capabilities for energy dosage to the sample using ultrashort laser pulses has been undertaken which have permitted a better understanding of the underlying issues of LIBS {notably, laser interaction with matter, plasma dynamics and properties. The increased sophistication of laboratory methods permits LIBS to face analytical problems of remarkable complexity such as isotopic analysis. This lecture will present less explored aspects of LIBS, including the ultrafast phenomena occurring after laser excitation of surfaces and the ensuing onset of atomic and molecular emission and new measurement opportunities for extremely low masses.