A miniaturized NQR spectrometer for a multi-channel NQR-based detection device

Samo Beguš; Vojko Jazbinšek; Janez Pirnat; Zvonko Trontelj

doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2014.08.002

A miniaturized NQR spectrometer for a multi-channel NQR-based detection device

J Magn Reson. 2014 Oct:247:22-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jmr.2014.08.002. Epub 2014 Aug 14.

Authors

Samo Beguš¹, Vojko Jazbinšek², Janez Pirnat², Zvonko Trontelj³

Affiliations

¹ University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
² Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
³ Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: zvonko.trontelj@fmf.uni-lj.si.

PMID: 25233110
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2014.08.002

Abstract

A low frequency (0.5-5 MHz) battery operated sensitive pulsed NQR spectrometer with a transmitter power up to 5 W and a total mass of about 3 kg aimed at detecting (14)N NQR signals, predominantly of illicit materials, was designed and assembled. This spectrometer uses a standard software defined radio (SDR) platform for the data acquisition unit. Signal processing is done with the LabView Virtual instrument on a personal computer. We successfully tested the spectrometer by measuring (14)N NQR signals from aminotetrazole monohydrate (ATMH), potassium nitrate (PN), paracetamol (PCM) and trinitrotoluene (TNT). Such a spectrometer is a feasible component of a portable single or multichannel (14)N NQR based detection device.

Keywords: Illicit substances detection; LabView Virtual instrument; Nuclear quadrupole resonance; Portable spectrometer; Software defined radio platform.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't