Facility Highlight: Central European Institute of Technology

Discovering Advanced material characterization techniques at CEITEC

Located in the heart of the Czech Republic, the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) at Brno University of Technology is a hub of innovation, focusing on advanced materials, nanotechnologies, and cybernetics. A key player in this landscape is the Advanced Instrumentation and Methods for Materials Characterization (AIMMC) group, which boasts cutting-edge laboratories for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-ray micro- and nano-computed tomography (CT).

Cutting-edge research infrastructure

The Laboratory of X-ray Micro and Nano-Computed Tomography boasts over a decade of expertise in tomographic measurements. Equipped with four dedicated cutting-edge μCT and nanoCT systems. This lab excels in non-destructive testing and characterising internal material structures.

In parallel, the Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory leverages advanced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) systems, including the commercial Lightigo system and custom lab-based setups. These systems deliver multi-elemental analysis across various spectral ranges, ensuring high sensitivity and resolution under different atmospheric conditions.

Uniquely offered at CEITEC:
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

At the forefront of CEITEC’s offerings, the Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory specializes in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS is a powerful technique that provides multi-elemental analysis with exceptional sensitivity and resolution. The lab utilizes different laser sources for laser ablation, allowing for tailored ablation spots and properties of the resulting laser-induced plasma. These capabilities enable advanced applications in plasma imaging, shadowgraphy, and interferometry, which are invaluable to the LIBS community. CEITEC’s expertise in LIBS not only showcases their technological prowess but also reinforces their position as a leader in the field.

Our LIBS technology, featuring the Lithigo LIBS FireFly and our proprietary LIBS Discovery systems, provides comprehensive multi-elemental detection (including elements such as Li, Be, and H). It offers capabilities in elemental imaging, large-scale analysis up to 100 x 100 mm², and advanced hyperspectral data processing. This includes unsupervised clustering, image segmentation, multimodal data registration, automated mineralogy, and quantitative analysis.

LIBS Applications

• Foundry and metallurgy: detection of C, S, P in steel; fast on-line quality control
• Mining and extraterrestrial research: rock identification, quantification of trace elements
• Clinical research: mapping of heavy metals’ distribution in soft and hard tissues, elemental mapping of bone scaffolds
• Toxicology: influence of nanoparticles contamination on the growth of plants and small organisms – zebra fish embryos
• Automotive: characterization of thin surfaces; depth profiling – selective detection of elements in material layers
• Agriculture and environmental diagnostics: detection of fertilizers and toxicity contamination
• Archaeology, forensics (e.g. braking track detection), civil engineering (chlorine degradation of structures), etc.
• Implementation of machine learning algorithms: application of artificial neural networks (including deep learning) to meet the requirements of high nonlinearity in both quantitative and qualitative LIBS analysis;