Range-Improving, Mid-IR Time Domain Spectroscopic Transceiver for SNM

To address the DTRA need for standoff detection and identification of special nuclear materials (SNM), Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Mid-IR Time Domain Spectroscopic Transceiver (MI-TDST) system. The proposed MI-TDST device operation is based on capturing the characteristic signature of molecules in the environment surrounding SNM. Decomposition of these molecules (identified by a change of molecular rotational and vibrational spectroscopic signatures) will indicate the ionization radiation of the SNM. MI-TDST will detect the change in molecular spectrums by time domain spectroscopy (TDS), thus drastically improving the signal processing time. The innovation in use of the mid-IR spectrum on THz technology, and in the production of a broadband mid-IR spectrum without relying on a traditional mid-IR source, enables the MI-TDST to operate in mid-IR, where atmospheric attenuation is very small, and thus improve the standoff range to 10 km – 100 times farther than state-of-the-art THz radar. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the MI-TDST system by developing laboratory setups. In Phase II, POC will develop a MI-TDST prototype to demonstrate how the approach meets DTRA requirements.