Time-resolved resonance fluorescence spectroscopy for study of chemical reactions in laser-induced plasmas.

Identification of chemical intermediates and study of chemical reaction pathways and mechanisms in laser-induced plasmas are important for laser-ablated applications. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), as a promising spectroscopic technique, is efficient for elemental analyses but can only provide limited information about chemical products in laser-induced plasmas. In this work, time-resolved resonance fluorescence spectroscopy was studied as a promising tool for the study of chemical reactions in laser-induced plasmas. Resonance fluorescence excitation of diatomic aluminum monoxide (AlO) and triatomic dialuminum monoxide (AlO) was used to identify these chemical intermediates. Time-resolved fluorescence spectra of AlO and AlO were used to observe the temporal evolution in laser-induced Al plasmas and to study their formation in the Al-O chemistry in air.