Unveiling Plasma Dynamics via Polarization Resolved Spectroscopy

Laser Produced Plasma (LPP) has attracted wide interest due to its significance in both applied and fundamental research. When a high-intensity laser strikes a material, it generates plasma. This plasma enables access to atomic and ionic energy levels that are not normally populated, making LPP a valuable tool in spectroscopic studies. One important application is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), where the emitted light from the plasma is used to identify the elements present in a material.

A unique feature of LPP is the presence of polarized emission in its emission spectra. Previous studies have shown that this phenomenon can be used to understand electron distribution and extract information about self generated electric and magnetic fields. Polarization Resolved LIBS (PR-LIBS) takes advantage of this by detecting only the polarized components of light, thereby enhancing signal quality by suppressing background noise.

In this study, we analyze how polarization of the continuum and emission from different charge states of aluminum evolves over time and space in LPP with a focus on underlying physical mechanism. We demonstrate how polarization influences the estimation of key parameters such as electron density and temperature when employing PR-LIBS.

Our results emphasize the importance of considering polarization effects in PR-LIBS for improved diagnostic accuracy and broader applicability.