Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is an analytical technique that uses direct micro-scale sampling to provide high precision elemental and stable isotope analyses of solid materials.
LA-ICP-MS uses a powerful nanosecond-pulsed laser beam to remove material from the surface of a sample. The interaction of the laser and the sample surface causes heating, evaporation and ionization of sample material, in a process called “laser ablation.” A plume of particles and ions is generated and then carried via a constant flow of argon and/or helium gas to an ICP-MS.
The sample material is subsequently ionized in an inductively coupled plasma, and its atomic species are transported as ions, separated and analyzed based on their mass-to-charge ratio over time. LA-ICP-MS can therefore provide major and trace element compositions in a sample down to detection limits of 10’s of parts-per-billion (ppb).