Improvement of resonant laser ablation mass spectrometry using high-repetition-rate and short-pulse tunable laser system

The mass spectrometry based on resonant laser ablation technique (RLA-MS), which combines laser ablation and resonance ionization spectroscopy simultaneously with a single laser, can be used as a simple analytical technique of trace elements with high sensitivity and elemental (isotopic) selectivity for solid samples. In this study, a high-repetition-rate and short-pulse tunable laser (Ti:Sapphire laser) system is applied to improve the performance of RLA-MS. The basic performance has been checked through experiments and theoretical calculations for trace aluminum (Al) detection. The results show that the present RLA-MS system has a detection limit concentration approximately 3 ppb/s for Al, which would be approximately 100 times better than that of the conventional relatively low-repetition-rate and long-pulse dye laser system. The effectiveness of applying a short-pulse laser to RLA-MS is also discussed from the viewpoint of shortening an expansion time of the ablated vapor, which might lead to an advantage of the system compactness.