Jd. Winefordner et al., THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL LIMITS IN ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY PLENARY LECTURE, Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry, 9(3), 1994, pp. 131-143
Theoretical expressions are given for the efficiency of detection and
the efficiency of measurement for several atomic methods, including at
omic absorption, atomic emission, atomic ionization, atomic fluorescen
ce, and mass spectrometry, where flames, plasmas and furnaces are used
to produce atoms or ions and in some cases excited atoms and ions. Th
ese unique expressions are then used with noise expressions to develop
detection limit expressions. Assuming reasonable values of instrument
al and spectroscopic parameters, efficiencies of detection and measure
ment and detection limit of atoms in the sample are estimated to withi
n an order of magnitude. Several methods have the capability of being
single atom measurement approaches, and therefore potentially useful f
or atom counting. Considerable discussion of noise sources and a compa
rison of atomic methods with respect to a variety of analytical figure
s of merit are given. The present fundamental approach is used to pred
ict the future potential of various atomic methods.