Direct measurements of the electric field in the sheath of adcglow discharge were made using laser spectroscopic measurements of argon atoms. The effect of the electric field on the 4s⇒7ftransitions was used to determine the electric field. Both laser opto‐galvanic spectra and laser‐induced fluorescence spectra were obtained. The magnitude of the electric field was determined using an experimentally obtained calibration of the change in wavelength produced by the electric field. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.