PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | May 8, 2009
Proc. SPIE. 7304, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing X
KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Explosives detection, Spectroscopy, Molecules, Laser applications, Ultrafast lasers, Explosives, Molecular lasers, Signal detection, Pulsed laser operation
The detection of explosives is a notoriously difficult problem, especially at stand-off distances, due to their (generally)
low vapor pressure, environmental and matrix interferences, and packaging. We are exploring optimal dynamic
detection to exploit the best capabilities of recent advances in laser technology and recent discoveries in optimal shaping
of laser pulses for control of molecular processes to significantly enhance the standoff detection of explosives. The core
of the ODD-Ex technique is the introduction of optimally shaped laser pulses to simultaneously enhance sensitivity of
explosives signatures while reducing the influence of noise and the signals from background interferents in the field
(increase selectivity). These goals are being addressed by operating in an optimal nonlinear fashion, typically with a
single shaped laser pulse inherently containing within it coherently locked control and probe sub-pulses. With sufficient
bandwidth, the technique is capable of intrinsically providing orthogonal broad spectral information for data fusion, all
from a single optimal pulse.
