ADVANCING THE DETECTION OF IEDS THROUGH OPTICAL SCIENCE
ASL is developing a laser-based technique to detect improvised explosive devices. Explosive compounds release extremely small amounts of characteristic molecules into the air. To be able to detect such small amounts from a safe standoff distance, ASL is exploring ways to take advantage of the nitrogen in the air. Nitrogen molecules can store the energy from laser light and transfer this energy to the explosive molecules. Subsequently, these molecules emit light of specific wavelengths that can be detected.