Laser detection of explosives based on differential absorption and scattering

A multifunctional Infrared (IR) parametric laser system for standoff detection and identification of trace atmospheric gases, including explosives and chemically aggressive substances has been developed and tested. The method can detect vapors of condensed explosives. Computational and experimental studies on the standoff determination of spectroscopic parameters of known explosives such as TNT, RDX, and PETN have been performed. It has been shown that the multifunctional IR optical parametric oscillator is suitable for high-sensitivity detection (∼1 ppm) of these substances using the method of differential absorption and scattering.