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Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing
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Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 April 2025 | Viewed by 13457

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Violeta Lazic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ENEA, Dep. FSN-TECFIS-DIM, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, RM, Italy
Interests: development of laser based instruments; LIBS; Raman; LIF; applications and fundamental studies relative to LIBS

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the past several decades, laser spectroscopy has rapidly evolved in terms of scientific knowledge, instrument development, applications and widespread use. This fast growth was stimulated by the development of commercial laser sources and spectrometers/detectors with more compact dimensions, lower costs and higher performances compared to the initially available components. Using a properly chosen laser spectroscopy technique, it is possible to rapidly obtain information about the molecular and elemental composition of materials in solid, liquid and gaseous states, and in various environmental conditions. Among the most used laser spectroscopy techniques are Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS). The existing instruments are extremely various, ranging from hand-held to sophisticated laboratory tools, while the measurement distance might be from sub-millimetric to hundreds of meters (stand-off systems). This Special Issue is intended to present recent results regarding various laser spectroscopic techniques with the aim of reviewing the trends and advances. The following topics will be covered, but studies on other relevant topics are also welcome:

  • Applications of a specific laser spectroscopy technique in various fields and working conditions;
  • Results of combined laser spectroscopy techniques;
  • Data processing;
  • Sample preparation;
  • Novel laser spectroscopy instruments.

Dr. Violeta Lazic
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4429 KiB  
Article
A Novel LIBS Sensor for Sample Examinations on a Crime Scene
by Violeta Lazic, Fabrizio Andreoli, Salvatore Almaviva, Marco Pistilli, Ivano Menicucci, Christian Ulrich, Frank Schnürer and Roberto Chirico
Sensors 2024, 24(5), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051469 - 24 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1971
Abstract
In this work, we present a compact LIBS sensor developed for characterization of samples on a crime scene following requirements of law enforcement agencies involved in the project. The sensor operates both in a tabletop mode, for aside measurements of swabbed materials or [...] Read more.
In this work, we present a compact LIBS sensor developed for characterization of samples on a crime scene following requirements of law enforcement agencies involved in the project. The sensor operates both in a tabletop mode, for aside measurements of swabbed materials or taken fragments, and in handheld mode where the sensor head is pointed directly on targets at the scene. The sensor head is connected via an umbilical to an instrument box that could be battery-powered and contains also a color camera for sample visualization, illumination LEDs, and pointing system for placing the target in focus. Here we describe the sensor’s architecture and functionalities, the optimization of the acquisition parameters, and the results of some LIBS measurements. On nano-plotted traces at silica wafer and in optimized conditions, for most of the elements the detection limits, in term of the absolute element masses, were found to be below 10 picograms. We also show results obtained on some representative materials, like fingerprints, swabbed soil and gunshot residue, varnishes on metal, and coated plastics. The last, solid samples were used to evaluate the depth profiling capabilities of the instrument, where the recognition of all four car paint layers was achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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14 pages, 3564 KiB  
Article
Separation of Leather, Synthetic Leather and Polymers Using Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
by Nicole Gilon, Margaux Soyer, Mathilde Redon and Patrice Fauvet
Sensors 2023, 23(5), 2648; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23052648 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2220
Abstract
Genuine leather is produced from animal skin by chemical tanning using chemical or vegetable agents, while synthetic leather is a combination of fabric and polymer. The replacement of natural leather by synthetic leather is becoming more difficult to identify. In this work, Laser [...] Read more.
Genuine leather is produced from animal skin by chemical tanning using chemical or vegetable agents, while synthetic leather is a combination of fabric and polymer. The replacement of natural leather by synthetic leather is becoming more difficult to identify. In this work, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is evaluated to separate between very similar materials: leather, synthetic leather, and polymers. LIBS is now widely employed to provide a specific fingerprint from the different materials. Animal leathers processed with vegetable, chromium, or titanium tanning were analyzed together with polymers and synthetic leather from different origins. The spectra exhibited typical signatures from the tanning agents (Cr, Ti, Al) and the dyes and pigments, but also from polymer characteristic bands. The principal factor analysis allowed to discriminate between four main groups of samples representing the tanning processes and the polymer or synthetic leather character. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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16 pages, 5724 KiB  
Article
Comparative Long-Wave Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Employing 1-D and 2-D Focal Plane Array Detectors
by Clayton S.-C. Yang, Feng Jin, Sudhir Trivedi, Uwe Hommerich and Alan C. Samuels
Sensors 2023, 23(3), 1366; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23031366 - 26 Jan 2023
Viewed by 2241
Abstract
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) emissions of laser-induced plasma on solid potassium chloride and acetaminophen tablet surfaces were studied using both a one-dimensional (1-D) linear array detection system and, for the first time, a two-dimensional (2-D) focal plane array (FPA) detection system. Both atomic and [...] Read more.
Long-wave infrared (LWIR) emissions of laser-induced plasma on solid potassium chloride and acetaminophen tablet surfaces were studied using both a one-dimensional (1-D) linear array detection system and, for the first time, a two-dimensional (2-D) focal plane array (FPA) detection system. Both atomic and molecular infrared emitters in the vicinity of the plasma were identified by analyzing the detected spectral signatures in the infrared region. Time- and space-resolved long-wave infrared emissions were also studied to assess the temporal and spatial behaviors of atomic and molecular emitters in the plasma. These pioneer temporal and spatial investigations of infrared emissions from laser-induced plasma would be valuable to the modeling of plasma evolutions and the advances of the novel LWIR laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). When integrated both temporally (≥200 µs) and spatially using a 2-D FPA detector, the observed intensities and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of single-shot LWIR LIBS signature emissions from intact molecules were considerably enhanced (e.g., with enhancement factors up to 16 and 3.76, respectively, for a 6.62 µm band of acetaminophen molecules) and, in general, comparable to those from the atomic emitters. Pairing LWIR LIBS with conventional ultraviolet–visible–near infrared (UV/Vis/NIR) LIBS, a simultaneous UV/Vis/NIR + LWIR LIBS detection system promises unprecedented capability of in situ, real-time, and stand-off investigation of both atomic and molecular target compositions to detect and characterize a range of chemistries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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16 pages, 1658 KiB  
Article
Impact of Glass Irradiation on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Data Analysis
by Londrea J. Garrett, Bryan W. Morgan, Miloš Burger, Yunu Lee, Hyeongbin Kim, Piyush Sabharwall, Sungyeol Choi and Igor Jovanovic
Sensors 2023, 23(2), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23020691 - 7 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2134
Abstract
Increased absorption of optical materials arising from exposure to ionizing radiation must be accounted for to accurately analyze laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data retrieved from high-radiation environments. We evaluate this effect on two examples that mimic the diagnostics placed within novel nuclear reactor [...] Read more.
Increased absorption of optical materials arising from exposure to ionizing radiation must be accounted for to accurately analyze laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data retrieved from high-radiation environments. We evaluate this effect on two examples that mimic the diagnostics placed within novel nuclear reactor designs. The analysis is performed on LIBS data measured with 1% Xe gas in an ambient He environment and 1% Eu in a molten LiCl-KCl matrix, along with the measured optical absorption from the gamma- and neutron-irradiated low-OH fused silica and sapphire glasses. Significant changes in the number of laser shots required to reach a 3σ detection level are observed for the Eu data, increasing by two orders of magnitude after exposure to a 1.7 × 1017 n/cm2 neutron fluence. For all cases examined, the spectral dependence of absorption results in the introduction of systematic errors. Moreover, if lines from different spectral regions are used to create Boltzmann plots, this attenuation leads to statistically significant changes in the temperatures calculated from the Xe II lines and Eu II lines, lowering them from 8000 ± 610 K to 6900 ± 810 K and from 15,800 ± 400 K to 7200 ± 800 K, respectively, for exposure to the 1.7 × 1017 n/cm2 fluence. The temperature range required for a 95% confidence interval for the calculated temperature is also broadened. In the case of measuring the Xe spectrum, these effects may be mitigated using only the longer-wavelength spectral region, where radiation attenuation is relatively small, or through analysis using the iterative Saha–Boltzmann method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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17 pages, 3533 KiB  
Article
Temperature Measurements by Wavelength Modulation Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy with Logarithmic Conversion and 1f Signal Detection
by Vladimir Liger, Vladimir Mironenko, Yury Kuritsyn and Mikhail Bolshov
Sensors 2023, 23(2), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23020622 - 5 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1837
Abstract
A new version of a sensor for temperature measurements in the case of strong laser intensity fluctuation was developed. It was based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) with wavelength modulation, logarithmic conversion of the absorption signal, and detection of the first [...] Read more.
A new version of a sensor for temperature measurements in the case of strong laser intensity fluctuation was developed. It was based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) with wavelength modulation, logarithmic conversion of the absorption signal, and detection of the first harmonic of the modulation frequency. The efficiency of the technique was demonstrated under experimental conditions with excess multiplicative noise. Temperature was evaluated from the ratio of integrated absorbance of two lines of the water molecule with different lower energy levels. Two algorithms of data processing were tested, simultaneous fitting of two spectral ranges with selected absorption lines and independent fitting of two absorption lines profiles. The correctness of the gas temperature evaluation was verified by simultaneous measurements with a commercial thermocouple. An error in temperature evaluation of less than 40 at 1000 K was achieved even when processing a single scan of the diode lasers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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13 pages, 5570 KiB  
Article
Homogeneity Measurements of Li-Ion Battery Cathodes Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
by Moritz Kappeler, Carl Basler, Albrecht Brandenburg, Daniel Carl and Jürgen Wöllenstein
Sensors 2022, 22(22), 8816; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22228816 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2012
Abstract
We study the capability of nanosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ns-LIBS) for depth-resolved concentration measurements of Li-Ion battery cathodes. With our system, which is optimized for quality control applications in the production line, we pursue the goal to unveil manufacturing faults and irregularities during [...] Read more.
We study the capability of nanosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ns-LIBS) for depth-resolved concentration measurements of Li-Ion battery cathodes. With our system, which is optimized for quality control applications in the production line, we pursue the goal to unveil manufacturing faults and irregularities during the production process of cathodes as early as possible. Femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (fs-LIBS) is widely considered to be better suited for depth-resolved element analysis. Nevertheless, the small size and intensity of the plasma plume, non-thermal energy distribution in the plasma and high investment costs of fs-LIBS make ns-LIBS more attractive for inline application in the industrial surrounding. The system, presented here for the first time, is able to record quasi-depth-resolved relative concentration profiles for carbon, nickel, manganese, cobalt, lithium and aluminum which are the typical elements used in the binder/conductive additive, the active cathode material and the current collector. LIBS often causes high variations in signal intensity from pulse to pulse, so concentration determination is, in general, conducted on the average of many pulses. We show that the spot-to-spot variations we measure are governed by the microstructure of the cathode foil and are not an expression of the limited precision of the LIBS setup. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends and Advances in Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing)
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