laserinduced

Laser-induced refers to processes, effects, or measurements that arise from exposure to laser light. The term is used across physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science to denote phenomena initiated by irradiation with one or more laser wavelengths. Laser-induced effects can be chemical, electronic, thermal, or mechanical in nature, and they may occur in gases, liquids, or solids.

The underlying mechanisms vary. Photons can be absorbed and promote electronic excitation, trigger multiphoton ionization, or drive photochemical reactions. Energy deposited by the laser can cause heating, melting, and vaporization, or it can create a plasma through rapid ionization. Depending on pulse duration, wavelength, and intensity, effects may be largely nonthermal (electronic processes) or thermal (dissipating heat into the material).

Common manifestations include laser-induced breakdown and laser-induced plasma formation, which underpin techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excels at detecting specific species by measuring emitted light after excitation. Laser-induced ablation removes material for analysis or micromachining, while laser-induced damage studies assess the resilience of optical components and materials. In materials science, laser processing can produce effects like laser-induced graphene or surface patterning. In biology and medicine, laser-induced photothermal or photochemical effects enable imaging and therapies under tightly controlled conditions.

Applications are broad, ranging from elemental analysis and environmental monitoring to manufacturing, biomedical imaging, and device fabrication. Limitations include matrix effects, calibration challenges, and potential safety risks from high-intensity lasers and generated plasmas. Proper control of laser parameters is essential to obtain reliable, reproducible results.