The need for advanced techniques to detect improvised explosive devices (IED) at stand-off distances greater than ten (10) meters has driven AMI Research and Development (AMI) to develop a solution to detect and identify the threat utilizing a forward looking Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) combined with our CW radar technology Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) detection system. The novel features include a near-field sub-wavelength focusing antenna, a wide band 300 KHz to 300 MHz rapidly scanning CW radar facilitated by a high Q antenna/tuner, and an advanced processor utilizing Rabi transitions where the nucleus oscillates between states under the time dependent incident electromagnetic field and alternately absorbs energy from the incident field while emitting coherent energy via stimulated emission. AMI’s Sub-wavelength Focusing Wide Band Super Lens uses a Near-Field SAR, making detection possible at distances greater than ten (10) meters. This super lens is capable of operating on the near-field and focusing electromagnetic waves to resolutions beyond the diffraction limit. When applied to the case of a vehicle approaching an explosive hazard the methodologies of synthetic aperture radar is fused with the array based super resolution and the NQR data processing detecting the explosive hazard.
KEYWORDS: Explosives, Signal processing, Signal detection, Magnetism, Electronic filtering, Sodium, Radar, Fermium, Frequency modulation, Electromagnetism
The application of CW radar techniques to Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) detection of nitrogen based explosives and chlorine based narcotics enables the use of low power levels, in the range of 10’s of watts, to yield high signal strengths. By utilizing Rabi transitions the nucleus oscillates between states one and two under the time dependent incident electromagnetic field and alternately absorbs energy from the incident field while emitting coherent energy via stimulated emission. Through the application of a cancellation algorithm the incident field is eliminated from the NQR response, allowing the receive signal to be measured while transmitting. The response signal is processed using matched filters of the NQR response which enables the direct detection of explosives. This technology has applicability to the direct detection of explosives and narcotics for security screening, all at safe low power levels, opposed to the current XRay and Millimeter wave screening systems that detect objects that may contain explosives and utilize high power. The quantum mechanics theoretical basis for the approach and an application for a system for security screening are described with empirical results presented to show the effects observed.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.