Intracavity Enhanced Explosive Detection via THz Emission

Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) proposes to develop an important element to defend against terror and asymmetric warfare. There is a great need to detect very low concentrations of explosive vapors and other hazardous gases using only a small portable instrument that can be used to monitor, examine, or screen objects and people for the presence of a threat. It is known that Intracavity Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (ICLAS) offers the potential to detect and identify very low concentrations of gases, and that terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is very effective in identifying explosives. However, ICLAS, in its present form, cannot be used as a field device, and cannot be used with THz light. IOS will develop a highly innovative instrument that will use THz spectroscopy to identify explosive vapors, and will use a variation of intracavity spectroscopy to detect very low concentrations of explosives and other gases. This innovative instrument will be developed into a field portable device suitable for many applications to defend against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other threats.