Detection and identification of unknown and possibly hazardous materials is a vital area of research to which infrared (IR) spectroscopy is ideally suited. Infrared absorption spectra can be measured with many sensing paradigms of which photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a sensitive and flexible variant. The flexibility of PAS allows for the construction of narrowly tailored spectroscopic sensors that are designed for specific tasks. We discuss the evaluation of an interferometric PAS sensor by the measurement of common explosive hazards from a standoff distance of 1 m. Reproduction of IR absorption spectra for 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) demonstrate the capabilities of the interferometric sensor for standoff explosives detection.
Keywords: Photoacoustic spectroscopy; explosives detection; laser doppler vibrometer; quantum cascade laser; standoff detection.