Evaluation of stimulated Raman scattering of tunable dye laser radiation as a primary excitation source for exciting atomic fluorescence in an inductively coupled plasma

Abstract

Radiation generated by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in H/sub 2/ at liquid N/sub 2/ temperatures was evaluated as a tunable, sharp-line, ultraviolet laser source for the excitation of atomic fluorescence of those elements, such as As, Se, Te, and Zn, whose resonance excited states are usually more than 40,000 cm/sup -1/ above the ground state. To populate these states requires primary radiation of wavelengths that are shorter than can be provided by laser-frequency doubling techniques. These wavelengths are within the range that can be reached through stimulated Raman scattering of dye-laser primary radiation. In the studies described, a YAG pumped, dye-laser source provided the primary radiation that was scattered in the SRS cell into Stokes and anti-Stokes components. Data on the analytical figures of merit are presented and compared with those obtained by conventional inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and hollow-cathode lamp excited atomic fluorescence spectroscopy.