Standoff detection of explosives with broad band tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers

F. Fuchs; S. Hugger; M. Kinzer; Q. K. Yang; W. Bronner; R. Aidam; K. Degreif; S. Rademacher; F. Schnürer; W. Schweikert

doi:10.1117/12.908119

20 January 2012 Standoff detection of explosives with broad band tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers

F. Fuchs, S. Hugger, M. Kinzer, Q. K. Yang, W. Bronner, R. Aidam, K. Degreif, S. Rademacher, F. Schnürer, W. Schweikert

Proceedings Volume 8268, Quantum Sensing and Nanophotonic Devices IX; 82681N (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.908119
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We present standoff detection of various explosives by backscattering spectroscopy, using a sensing system based on mid-IR external-cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL) with a broad tunable range of about 300 cm^-1. Traces of TNT (trinitrotoluene), PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) as well as different nonhazardous substances were investigated by illuminating them with the EC-QC laser and collecting the diffusely backscattered light. Tuning the EC-QCL across the characteristic absorption spectra enables us to detect and identify the explosives against a background of non-hazardous materials.

Citation Download Citation

F. Fuchs, S. Hugger, M. Kinzer, Q. K. Yang, W. Bronner, R. Aidam, K. Degreif, S. Rademacher, F. Schnürer, and W. Schweikert "Standoff detection of explosives with broad band tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers", Proc. SPIE 8268, Quantum Sensing and Nanophotonic Devices IX, 82681N (20 January 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.908119

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