Broadband tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers for standoff detection of explosives

S. Hugger; F. Fuchs; J. Jarvis; M. Kinzer; Q. K. Yang; W. Bronner; R. Driad; R. Aidam; K. Degreif; F. Schnürer

doi:10.1117/12.918398

7 May 2012 Broadband tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers for standoff detection of explosives

S. Hugger, F. Fuchs, J. Jarvis, M. Kinzer, Q. K. Yang, W. Bronner, R. Driad, R. Aidam, K. Degreif, F. Schnürer

Proceedings Volume 8373, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications IV; 83732G (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918398
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2012, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Abstract

We demonstrate contactless detection of solid residues of explosives using mid-infrared laser spectroscopy. Our detection scheme relies on active laser illumination, synchronized with the collection of the backscattered radiation by an infrared camera. The key component of the system is an external cavity quantum cascade laser with a tuning range of 300 cm^-1 centered at 1220 cm^-1. Residues of TNT (trinitrotoluene), PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) could be identified and discriminated against non-hazardous materials by scanning the illumination wavelength over several of the characteristic absorption features of the explosives.

Citation Download Citation

S. Hugger, F. Fuchs, J. Jarvis, M. Kinzer, Q. K. Yang, W. Bronner, R. Driad, R. Aidam, K. Degreif, and F. Schnürer "Broadband tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers for standoff detection of explosives", Proc. SPIE 8373, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications IV, 83732G (7 May 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918398

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