Synthesis and photoluminescence of fluorinated graphene quantum dots Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 013111 (2013) The luminescence characteristics of CsI(Na) crystal under α and X/γ excitation J. Appl. Phys. 113, 023101 (2013) Structural and optoelectronic properties of Eu2+-doped nanoscale barium titanates of pseudo-cubic form J. Appl. Phys. 112, 124321 (2012) Quantum yield of luminescence of Ag nanoclusters dispersed within transparent bulk glass vs. glass composition and temperature Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 251106 (2012) Additional information on J. Appl. Phys. The plasma produced in trisilane ͑Si 3 H 8 ͒ at room temperature and pressures ranging from 50 to 10 3 Pa by laser-induced breakdown ͑LIB͒ has been investigated. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared emission generated by high-power IR CO 2 laser pulses in Si 3 H 8 has been studied by means of optical emission spectroscopy. Optical breakdown threshold intensities in trisilane at 10.591 m for laser pulse lengths of 100 ns have been measured as a function of gas pressure. The strong emission observed in the plasma region is mainly due to electronic relaxation of excited atomic H and Si and ionic fragments Si + , Si 2+ , and Si 3+ . An excitation temperature T exc = 5600± 300 K was calculated by means of H atomic lines assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium. The physical processes leading to LIB of trisilane in the power density range 0.28 GW cm −2 Ͻ J Ͻ 3.99 GW cm −2 have been analyzed. From our experimental observations we can propose that, although the first electrons must appear via multiphoton ionization, electron cascade is the main mechanism responsible for the breakdown in trisilane.