Spectroscopy with sputtered atoms

Abstract

This article deals with the application of cathodic sputtering to the production of atomic vapours in atomic spectroscopy. It discusses the physical process of sputtering in a low-pressure rare-gas discharge and its characteristics as a method of generating atomic vapours for almost any solid element, including the highly refractory metals. Applications in the areas of spectrochemical analysis, laser-induced fluorescence studies of atomic lifetimes, polarized fluorescence experiments, Doppler-free laser spectroscopy, and optogalvanic spectroscopy are reviewed.