Explosives identification benefits from THz-Raman spectroscopy

April 25, 2013

Monrovia, CA--During SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing in Baltimore (April 30-May 2), new results will be presented by Ondax demonstrating enhanced spectral measurements of explosives and hazardous materials.

Conard Holton

Monrovia, CA--During SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing in Baltimore (April 30-May 2), new results will be presented by Ondax demonstrating enhanced spectral measurements of explosives and hazardous materials. Results show that many explosive materials exhibit extremely strong spectra in the low-frequency/THz-Raman regime, and when compared to existing Raman detection techniques, this additional data makes them easier to detect and analyze, providing additional means to compare the detailed composition and manufacture of the substances

Related article: Terahertz Raman: Accessing molecular structure with Raman spectroscopy

During the talk, James Carriere, Director of Business Development for Ondax, will present new data collected with the Ondax THz-Raman spectroscopy system from samples provided by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. According to Carriere, “We have seen an increasing interest in using THz-Raman as a complementary analytical tool in both formulation and analysis of drugs, explosives, and other hazmat materials. Most of these are composed of large, complex molecules that exhibit rich responses in the low-frequency Raman/THz regime.”

The presentation is part of the “Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing” Conference session on “Advances in Standoff Explosives Detection.” The paper, entitled “THz-Raman spectroscopy for explosive, chemical and biological detection” will be presented at 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1 (paper #8710-26). Equipment demonstrations will also be active during the entire conference at the Ondax booth #1939 in the Exhibit hall.

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.