FIBER-OPTIC INTERFEROMETRIC SENSOR FOR CHEMICAL AGENTS

CURRENT GAS MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES ARE INADEQUATE TO DETECT GASES USED IN CHEMICAL WARFARE WITH ENOUGH ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY IN THE HOSTILE WAR ZONE ENVIRONMENTS. IT IS NECESARY TO HAVE A SENSOR THAT WILL PROVIDE INSTANTANEOUS AND CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF THE POISONOUS GASES. IT MUST OPERATE IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING THOSE OF HIGH SMOKE, DUST, AND OTHER VAPER/PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION. THE PROPOSED APPROACH UTILIZES DR. BUCHMAN'S NEW FUNDAMENTAL CIRCUIT IMPROVEMENT TO FIBER OPTIC INTERFEROMETRIC TECHNOLOGY THAT GIVES DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED SIGNAL TO NOISE AND SENSITIVITY (BETTER THAN 10 TO 1 IMPROVEMENT). THIS TECHNOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED AT THE UNIVERISTY OF TEXAS AND ENHANCED BY RESEARCH APPLICATIONS FOR ACOUSTIC SENSORS. UNDER THIS PROPOSAL THE FUNDAMENTAL INTERFEROMETIC TECHNOLOGY IS BEING ENHANCED AND ADAPTED TO A GENERALIZED PHOTO-ACOUSTIC SENSOR. THE SENSOR IS BEING BUILT AS A GENERALIZED GAS SPECIE MEASUREMENT; HOWEVER, ONE GAS WILL BE SELECTED TO RUN COMPLETE PERFORMANCE TESTS. THE PHASE I MILESTONES ARE: - THEORETICAL STUDY OF SENSITIVITY/RESPONSE TRADEOFFS - OPTIMIZATION OF SIGNAL PROCESSING FOR SPECIFIC INTERFEROMETER - BUILD TEST PHOTO-ACOUSTIC OPTRODE - BUILD ENHANCED BUCKMAN INTERFEROMETER - INTEGRATE OPTRODE WITH INTERFEROMETER - TEST FOR PERFORMANCE WITH SAMPLE GAS