In Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, the sample is directly analyzed by ablating a solid sample with a pulsed laser beam. The created aerosols are transported by a gas stream into the core of inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP). The plasma in ICP-MS is used to generate ions that are then introduced to the mass analyzer. The constituents of an unknown sample can then be identified and measured.

For laser ablation, any type of solid sample can be ablated for analysis; there are few sample-size restrictions and no sample preparation procedures. Chemical analysis using laser ablation requires a smaller amount of sample (micrograms) than that required for solution ICP-MS (milligrams). Depending on the analytical measurement system, very small amounts of sample may be sufficient for this technique. In addition, a focused laser beam permits spatial characterization of heterogeneity in solid samples, with typically micron resolution both in terms of lateral (x, y) and depth (z) directions.