Laser ablation system with in-chamber fiber optic detection for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

A laser ablation system, comprising:

• an ablation chamber defining an interior region configured to hold a sample target for ablation by an ablation beam source to generate a plasma upon ablation, the ablation chamber also defining a window through which radiation from the ablation beam source is permitted to pass to ablate the sample target;
• a cup coupled to the ablation chamber, the cup defining
• an interior volume configured to be positioned adjacent the sample target and within the interior region,
• an aperture configured to pass radiation from the ablation beam source, through the window, to the sample target within the ablation chamber, and
• one or more fiber optic apertures extending through the cup to define one or more channels from an exterior of the ablation chamber to the interior volume of the cup;
• and
• one or more optical fibers inserted through respective fiber optic apertures of the one or fiber optic apertures, each of the one or more optical fibers having an end positioned within the interior volume adjacent the sample target to receive light emitted from the plasma generation.

A laser ablation system, comprising:

• an ablation chamber defining an interior region configured to hold a sample target for ablation by an ablation beam source to generate a plasma upon ablation, the ablation chamber also defining a window through which radiation from the ablation beam source is permitted to pass to ablate the sample target;
• and
• a cup coupled to the ablation chamber, the cup configured to support one or more optical fibers to receive light emitted from the plasma generation, the cup defining
• an interior volume configured to be positioned adjacent the sample target and within the interior region,
• an aperture configured to pass radiation from the ablation beam source, through the window, to the sample target within the ablation chamber, and
• one or more fiber optic apertures extending through the cup to define one or more channels from an exterior of the ablation chamber to the interior volume of the cup, the one or more fiber optic apertures configured to position an end of an optical fiber within the interior volume.

A method for laser ablation of a sample target, comprising:

• introducing a plurality of optical fibers into a laser ablation system, the laser ablation system including
• an ablation chamber defining an interior region configured to hold a sample target for ablation by an ablation beam source to generate a plasma upon ablation, the ablation chamber also defining a window through which radiation from the ablation beam source is permitted to pass to ablate the sample target;
• a cup coupled to the ablation chamber, the cup defining
• an interior volume configured to be positioned adjacent the sample target and within the interior region,
• a first aperture configured to pass radiation from the ablation beam source, through the window, to the sample target within the ablation chamber, and
• one or more fiber optic apertures extending through the cup to define one or more channels from an exterior of the ablation chamber to the interior volume of the cup;
• and
• positioning an end of each of the plurality of optical fibers within the interior volume adjacent the sample target to receive light emitted from the plasma generation.