Micro-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: A novel approach used in the detection of six rare earths and one transition metal

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was undertaken using an instrument which used a high-powered microscope to deliver the light and tightly focused the low energy laser beam onto the surface of a solid sample. A micro-plasma was generated on the surface of the sample under test even though the amount of energy/pulse from a beam of 532 nm was <1 mJ. Rare earth elements such as europium, gadolinium, lanthanum, neodymium, praseodymium, samarium, and a transition metal, yttrium, were tested. These elements are important in nuclear fission reactions especially for estimation of actinide masses for non-proliferation “safeguards”. Each element was mixed in the graphite matrix in different percentages from 1% to 50% by weight and the LIBS spectra were obtained for each composition as well as after mixing each element in the same amount using oxides of the elements. The data for the 5% mixture of the rare earth elements with graphite powder along with the transition metal has been presented in this article. A micro-LIBS approach was used to demonstrate that these rare earth elements can be identified individually and in a complex mixture in glove boxes in which the microscope LIBS instrument is housed in a nuclear research environment.