ABSTRACT

This study investigates the plasma parameters of a cadmium oxide (CdO) target using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The plasma spectra of CdO were observed after preparation using a pulsed laser with energies of (300, 500 and 700) mJ. The experiment used a high-power laser to ablate the cadmium (Cd) target, generating a plasma plume that emitted characteristic spectral lines. We extracted valuable information about the plasma parameters by analysing the emitted light, including electron temperature, electron density and ionisation degrees. The LIBS setup was carefully calibrated and optimised to ensure accurate and reliable measurements. The evaluation of electron density was achieved by employing Stark broadening analysis, plasma density and plasma frequency. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Debye length decreases as energy increases. The electron temperature values range from 0.770 eV–0.788 eV. While the electron density ranged from (4.167–4.688) × 10¹⁷ cm^–3. The remaining plasma properties were determined by the utilisation of mathematical formulae and the Boltzmann plot approach. This study provides the first systematic correlation between laser energy 300 mJ–700 mJ and plasma parameters, the temperature and density of electrons, and other fundamental plasma properties in CdO targets, demonstrating a linear increase in electron density with energy. These findings optimise LIBS for Cd detection in environmental monitoring or thin-film diagnostics, utilising emission spectroscopy-based characterisation techniques. This is the first study to quantify Cd plasma parameters across a laser energy range 300 mJ–700 mJ using combined Stark broadening and Boltzmann plot methods.

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