Comparison of Nonintensified and Intensified CCD Detectors for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The performance and sensitivity of an intensified CCD array system and a nonintensified CCD array detector system are compared for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS measurements were recorded in a calcium-based aerosol-seeded gas stream at ambient pressure. The signal-to-noise ratio based on the 393.37-nm calcium emission line was calculated as a function of detector delay with respect to the plasmainitiating laser pulse. Both ensemble-averaging and single-shot spectral analyses were performed. For all conditions, the intensified CCD system provided an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio compared with the nonintensified CCD system