Handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument for the diagnosis of the conservation state of stone monuments

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been in use for decades, but only recently the technique has progressed so to allow the construction of efficient handheld, self-contained commercial instruments featuring a large range of capabilities. In particular, the development of portable instruments able to perform non-invasive spatially resolved in-situ analysis has provided an impressive impulse to the scientific investigation of cultural heritage materials. In this work, the design of an handheld LIBS instrument and the first test measurements performed on a sedimentary rock monument are presented. A full broadband emission spectrum was recorded from a single laser shot in few secondswhich provided information on the elements present.