Femtosecond (fs) lasers coupled with modern ICP-MS instruments provide new and improved potential for in situ elemental and isotopic analyses in the geosciences

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been successfully applied for multi-element and isotopic analyses in a wide variety of solid samples. The minimal sample preparation, low detection limits, wide linear dynamic range, and the capability of high spatial resolution make it a leading technique in many applications. The recent introduction of femtosecond laser pulses has contributed to minimization of some of the significant problems resulting from use of nanosecond laser pulses for LA. Elemental and isotopic fractionation, matrix effects, and the necessity for matrix-matched standards have been greatly reduced with femtosecond LA-ICP-MS. This paper summarizes the fundamentals of laser-solid interactions and the differences between femtosecond and nanosecond laser ablation. The limited number of applications, to date, of femtosecond LA-ICP-MS in the geosciences already show the great potential for future advances in in situ elemental and isotopic studies.