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Title: Contributed Review: Quantum cascade laser based photoacoustic detection of explosives

Journal Article · · Review of Scientific Instruments
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916105· OSTI ID:22392392
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronic Information Acquisition and Manipulation of Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei (China)
  2. Department of Atmospheric Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz (Germany)
  3. Laboratoire de Physicochimie de l’Atmosphére, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, Dunkerque (France)
  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1374 (United States)

Detecting trace explosives and explosive-related compounds has recently become a topic of utmost importance for increasing public security around the world. A wide variety of detection methods and an even wider range of physical chemistry issues are involved in this very challenging area. Optical sensing methods, in particular mid-infrared spectrometry techniques, have a great potential to become a more desirable tools for the detection of explosives. The small size, simplicity, high output power, long-term reliability make external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs) the promising spectroscopic sources for developing analytical instrumentation. This work reviews the current technical progress in EC-QCL-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for explosives detection. The potential for both close-contact and standoff configurations using this technique is completely presented over the course of approximately the last one decade.

OSTI ID:
22392392
Journal Information:
Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 86, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English