Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid, portable, in situ atomic spectroscopy technique used to measure the concentration of major and trace elements in solid, liquid, or air samples, or to record the chemical signature (fingerprint) of a material. Each LIBS spectrum contains not only information about the concentrations of all naturally occurring elements, but also some isotopic ratios and information about the atomic structure of the material. LIBS is a spot analysis technique, with laser ablation craters on the order of 30 - 400 µm diameter, depending on the laser wavelength, power, properties of the material itself, and how well the laser couples to the material.

Because LIBS is a spot analysis technique, it is possible to evaluate spatial changes in material composition and also to average shots taken from many different locations on the materials to obtain a bulk composition.