A deep UV 266 nm laser induced LIBS plasma has been enhanced by using a simultaneous 10.6 microm CO(2) laser pulse at standoff ranges up to 55 m for several targets including metals, ceramics and plastics. The LIBS plasma emission was produced, for the first time, by a 266 nm laser and was enhanced by several orders of magnitude using the CO(2) laser pulse. The temperature of the enhanced LIBS plasma was measured, for the first time, and was observed to increase by about 3000K due to the addition of the CO(2) laser pulse.

A CW tunable 10.6 microm CO(2) laser differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system has been developed, for the first time to our knowledge, for the remote sensing of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) gas vapors, which have strong absorption lines at several wavelengths, including 3.3, 8.3, and 10.6 microm. The DIAL laser beam was transmitted through an enclosed absorption cell containing TATP or SF(6), and backscattered returns were measured from a retroreflector array target at ranges of 5-100 m. DIAL sensitivity for the detection of TATP was about 0.5 ng/microl [52 parts in 10(6)(ppm)] for a 0.3 m path.

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A 10.6 μm CO 2 laser pulse was used to enhance a remote LIBS emission. The temperature of the plasma was measured, and increased by 3,000 K due to the addition of the CO 2 laser pulse.OCIS codes: (140.0140) Lasers and laser optics; (300.6365) Spectroscopy, laser induced breakdown Introduction: Laser-Induced-Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a recognized laser detection technique for remote sensing the chemical composition of a wide range of materials including minerals, chemical substances, and trace species. 1-3 Our previous Townsend Effect Plasma Spectroscopy (TEPS) studies were conducted using a classical single pulse nanosecond 1064 nm laser for the LIBS excitation followed by the addition of a nearly simultaneous CO 2 laser pulse which resulted in signal enhancements on the order of 25 -300. 1 In this paper, we show new results that have measured for the first time the LIBS plasma temperature and the enhanced temperature due to the addition of the nearly simultaneous CO 2 laser pulse. Increased plasma temperatures on the order of 3000 K to 8000 K were observed for LIBS targets of Fe, Pb, and Al.

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