Abstract

Recent advances in laser excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry (LEAFS) and laser excited ionization spectrometry (LEIS) will be discussed. In LEAFS, analytical studies using electrothermal atomization (ETA), inductively couple plasma (ICP) and glow discharge (GD) atom (ion) reservoirs will be stressed. The possibility of achieving very low detection limits will be discussed with respect to the noise sources. The theoretical efficiencies of detection and measurement will be given and will be discussed with respect to measurements near the single atom level. Similarly, in LEIS, analytical studies using flames and furnaces with optogalvanic detection will be stressed, although mass spectrometric detection will also be mentioned. The probabilities of very low detection limits will also be stressed and the theoretical efficiencies of detection and measurement will be given.

© 1996 Optical Society of America