Unique THz “Fingerprints” Will Identify Hidden Explosives from a Distance
Xi-Cheng Zhang, director of the Center for THz Research at Rensselaer.
A major breakthrough in remote wave sensing by a team of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers opens the way for detecting hidden from a distance of 20 meters.
The new all-optical system, using terahertz (THz) wave technology, has great potential for homeland security and military uses because it can “see through” clothing and packaging materials and can identify immediately the unique THz “fingerprints” of any hidden materials.
Terahertz waves occupy a large segment of the electromagnetic spectrum between the infrared and microwave bands, which can provide imaging and sensing technologies not available through conventional technologies such as X-ray and microwave.
“The potential of THz wave remote sensing has been recognized for years, but practical application has been blocked by the fact that ambient moisture interferes with wave transmission,” said Xi-Cheng Zhang, director of the Center for THz Research at Rensselaer.
Zhang, the J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Science at Rensselaer, is lead author of a paper to be published next week in the journal Nature Photonics. Titled “Broadband terahertz wave remote sensing using coherent manipulation of fluorescence from asymmetrically ionized gases,” the paper describes the new system in detail. (more…)
Robotic Ferret Will Detect Hidden Drugs, Weapons and Human Trafficking
A new type of robot being developed will make it easier to detect drugs, weapons, explosives and illegal immigrants concealed in cargo containers.
Dubbed the ‘cargo-screening ferret’ and designed for use at seaports and airports, the device is being worked on at the University of Sheffield with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The idea for the project emerged from an event organised by EPSRC, the British Home Office Scientific Development Branch and the UK Borders Agency.
The ferret will be the world’s first cargo-screening device able to pinpoint all kinds of illicit substances and the first designed to operate inside standard freight containers, according to a news release issued today. (more…)
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