Orthogonal Spectroscopic technique Using Femtosecond Laser-Induced-Breakdown and Laser-Induced-Fluorescence for Standoff Explosive Detection

In this proposal, Intelligent Automation, Inc. (IAI), along with its subcontractor, Prof. James Spicer from the Johns Hopkins University, proposes to develop a novel femtosecond laser-induced-fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) to form an orthogonal spectroscopic system with a femtosecond LIBS for detection and identification of hazardous materials. The key innovation of our proposed approach lies in applications of the orthogonal features associated with the LIBS and LIFS to enhance the signal detection for explosives. Due to the similarity in optics and electronics of a LIFS and LIBS, the combination of a femtosecond LIFS and LIBS can take advantages of both systems, without substantially increasing the overall system’s configuration and cost.