Laser-sustained plasma light source with gas vortex flow

A characterization system comprising:

• a laser-sustained light source comprising:
• a gas containment structure for containing a gas;
• one or more gas inlets fluidically coupled to the gas containment structure and configured to flow the gas into the gas containment structure;
• one or more gas outlets fluidically coupled to the gas containment structure and configured to flow gas out of the gas containment structure, wherein the one or more gas inlets and the one or more gas outlets are arranged to generate a vortex gas flow within the gas containment structure;
• a laser pump source configured to generate an optical pump to sustain a plasma in a region of the gas containment structure within an inner gas flow within the vortex gas flow;
• and
• a light collector element configured to collect at least a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma;
• a set of illumination optics configured to direct broadband light from the laser-sustained light source to one or more samples;
• a set of collection optics configured to collect light emanating from the one or more samples;
• and
• a detector assembly.

A method comprising:

• generating a vortex gas flow within a gas containment structure of a laser-sustained light source;
• generating pump illumination;
• directing, with a light collector element, a portion of the pump illumination into an inner gas flow within the vortex gas flow in the gas containment structure to sustain a plasma;
• and
• collecting a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma with the light collector element and directing the portion of broadband light to one or more downstream applications.