Dual-excitation wavelength resonance Raman explosives detector

Balakishore Yellampalle; Mikhail Sluch; Hai-Shan Wu; Robert Martin; William McCormick; Robert Ice; Brian E. Lemoff

doi:10.1117/12.2015945

29 May 2013 Dual-excitation wavelength resonance Raman explosives detector

Balakishore Yellampalle, Mikhail Sluch, Hai-Shan Wu, Robert Martin, William McCormick, Robert Ice, Brian E. Lemoff

Proceedings Volume 8710, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIV; 87100Z (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2015945
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2013, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Abstract

Deep-ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy (DUVRRS) is a promising approach to stand-off detection of explosive traces due to: 1) resonant enhancement of Raman cross-section, 2) λ^-4-cross-section enhancement, and 3) fluorescence and solar background free signatures. For trace detection, these signal enhancements more than offset the small penetration depth due to DUV absorption. A key challenge for stand-off sensors is to distinguish explosives, with high confidence, from a myriad of unknown background materials that may have interfering spectral peaks. To address this, we are developing a stand-off explosive sensor using DUVRRS with two simultaneous DUV excitation wavelengths. Due to complex interplay of resonant enhancement, self-absorption and laser penetration depth, significant amplitude variation is observed between corresponding Raman bands with different excitation wavelengths. These variations with excitation wavelength provide an orthogonal signature that complements the traditional Raman signature to improve specificity relative to single-excitation-wavelength techniques. As part of this effort, we are developing two novel CW DUV lasers, which have potential to be compact, and a compact dual-band high throughput DUV spectrometer, capable of simultaneous detection of Raman spectra in two spectral windows. We have also developed a highly sensitive algorithm for the detection of explosives under low signal-to-noise situations.

Citation Download Citation

Balakishore Yellampalle, Mikhail Sluch, Hai-Shan Wu, Robert Martin, William McCormick, Robert Ice, and Brian E. Lemoff "Dual-excitation wavelength resonance Raman explosives detector", Proc. SPIE 8710, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XIV, 87100Z (29 May 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2015945

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