Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: 

LIBS is a real-time, stand off analytical technique used to determine elemental composition of a sample. It may be employed for solids, liquids or gases. The advantage of LIBS is that it requires no sample preparation, and can provide immediate information on virtually any element in any form. The typical limit of detection is between 0.1 to 200 ppm (parts per million) depending on the sample material and the element of interest. One reason for the ongoing interest in LIBS for field-based applications is its inherent advantages over other analytical techniques. It can be used in - situ, as a stand-off analytical technique for different applications, limited only by laser power, detector sensitivity and wavelength range. LIBS’ stand - off ability eliminates the need for direct contact with the sampled material, in contrast with other technologies, which must come in contact with the material in order to do compositional analysis, making them impractical for fast-moving or molten materials. Furthermore, LIBS obviates the need to take physical samples of the materials for off - line laboratory analysis—a time-consuming and expensive operation requiring specialized techniques and facilities.