Comparison of 1064 nm and 266 nm excitation of laser-induced plasmas for several types of plastics and one explosive

Comparative measurements of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for ultraviolet (UV) and near infrared (NIR) excitation wavelengths on a wide range of plastics and one kind of explosive are presented. The focus of work is on the influence of laser wavelength on the Signal-to-peak to peak noise ratio (SPPNR) for selected emission lines as well as the plasma thresholds for NIR and UV excitation wavelengths. The merits of both excitation wavelengths are discussed with respect to the detection of explosives.