Email a Friend
Printer Friendly
Slashdot It!
Submit to Reddit
Add to Facebook

Tiny infrared laser holds promise as weapon against terror

August 08, 2005

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The difficulty of detecting the presence of explosives and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is once again all too apparent in the news about the London bombings.

In a significant breakthrough, researchers at Northwestern University's Center for Quantum Devices have demonstrated a specialized diode laser that holds promise as a weapon of defense in both civilian and military applications. Once optimized, the tiny laser could quickly detect explosives and CWAs early and warn against possible threats.

The Northwestern team, led by center director Manijeh Razeghi, became the first to create a quantum cascade laser (QCL) that can operate continuously at high power and at room temperature with an emission wavelength of 9.5 microns and a light output of greater than 100 milliwatts.

Existing standard diode lasers, such as those used to read compact discs or barcodes, do not operate effectively in the longer wavelengths that are required to detect CWAs. The challenge for researchers around the world has been to develop a portable laser that operates in the far-infrared (wavelengths of 8 to 12 microns). Every chemical has a unique "fingerprint" because it absorbs light of a specific frequency, and most CWAs fall in the 8 to 12 micron region.

"Our achievement is critical to building an extremely sensitive chemical detection system," said Razeghi, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "One of the key elements in a successful system is the laser source. Both mid- and far-infrared diode lasers need to operate at room temperature, have high power - greater than 100 milliwatts - and be extremely small in order to keep the system portable. We have now demonstrated such a laser in the far-infrared wavelength range."

This research is part of a four-year program called Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (LPAS) funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The goal of the program is to develop a man-portable system that can warn against a large number of potential threats using mid- and far-infrared diode lasers. Once optimized, such lasers would be a very reliable means of detecting explosives and chemical warfare agents while distinguishing them from benign chemicals present in the atmosphere.

During the next two years Razeghi and her team will work to put together a detection system based on the center's far-infrared laser. The system will then be evaluated by DARPA for use by the military.

Northwestern is a world leader in high-power QCL research. The Center for Quantum Devices was the first university research lab in the world to successfully grow, fabricate and test quantum cascade lasers back in 1997. By utilizing quantum mechanical design principles and advanced crystal growth techniques, the QCL is able to demonstrate high-power and high-temperature operation.

After the initial demonstration of room-temperature pulsed lasers in 1997, the primary efforts of Razeghi and her colleagues over the past several years have been to increase the laser's operating temperature, power output and efficiency in order to achieve the continuous operation necessary for sensitive chemical analysis.

In 2003 the center was the first to demonstrate high-power mid-wavelength infrared continuous wave QCLs operating above room temperature. (Like the far infrared, standard diode lasers cannot access this mid-infrared range.) At present, individual devices with output powers of several hundred milliwatts have been demonstrated in the 3 to 5 microns wavelength range.

Northwestern University

Related Chemical Warfare Agents Current Events and Chemical Warfare Agents News Articles

Chemical Warfare Agents Current Events and Chemical Warfare Agents News RSS

Structure of enzyme against chemical warfare agents determined
The enzyme DFPase from the squid Loligo vulgaris, is able to rapidly and efficiently detoxify chemical warfare agents such as Sarin, which was used in the Tokyo subway attacks in 1995.

MIT gas sensor is tiny, quick
Engineers at MIT are developing a tiny sensor that could be used to detect minute quantities of hazardous gases, including toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents, much more quickly than current devices.

Biosensor sniffs out explosives
Temple University School of Medicine researchers have developed a new biosensor that sniffs out explosives and could one day be used to detect landmines and deadly agents, such as sarin gas, according to a paper in the June issue of Nature Chemical Biology.

Diode laser could be vital for safeguarding aircraft
Terrorists can strike anywhere, at any time, and aircraft, both military and civilian, are targets for heat-seeking missiles, one of many tactics in use by groups hostile to the United States.

Sandia's rapidly deployable chemical detection system tested at McAfee Stadium
Baseball fans cheering on their beloved Oakland A's in a recent homestand may have been happy about the team's play, but the best news for those visitors to McAfee Stadium didn't take place on the field and couldn't be noticed by even the most observant spectators.

Landfills, chemical weapon debris possibly a good match, computer model suggests
Putting building debris contaminated by chemical weapons into municipal landfills likely would pose only a minimal risk to nearby communities and the surrounding environment, according to a study scheduled for publication in the July 1 issue of the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Chemical warfare agent detection technology used to treat lung disease
A new technique based on the same technology used to detect chemical warfare agents and explosives is being employed by scientists at The University of Manchester to treat hospital patients with lung disease.

Fast, accurate detection of explosives on airport luggage possible
Fast, highly reliable detection of residues that could indicate the presence of explosives and other hazardous materials inside luggage is now possible with technology under development at Purdue University.

Could microbes solve Russia's chemical weapons conundrum?
One of nature's most versatile microorganisms - a bacterium called Pseudomonas putida - could help mop up the toxic by-products caused by the destruction of the chemical weapon mustard, write Russian researchers in Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology this month.

Revolutionary room-specific air-filtering of pollutants, nerve gases and viruses
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lifa Air Oy Ltd have jointly developed a room filter that traps particles, toxic gases, bacteria and viruses in the incoming air. Low-priced and energy-efficient, the filter can be fitted in the existing air-conditioning systems. Room-specific filtering of inlet air has been attracting increasing international attention in the face of the possibility of a terrorist strike with chemical warfare agents introduced into the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning) system. Developed with VTT's expert assistance, the new filter is revolutionary because it can trap not only hazardous particles like natural disease carriers but also gaseous impu

More Chemical Warfare Agents Current Events and Chemical Warfare Agents News Articles

	Chemical Warfare Agents: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, Second Edition by James A. Romano Jr. (Editor), Brian J. Lukey (Editor), Harry Salem (Editor) The first edition of this book, Chemical Warfare Agents: Toxicity at Low Levels, was published just prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Reflecting a greater sense of urgency within the field of chemical defense since this event, research related to chemical warfare agents (CWAs) continues to expand at a remarkable pace. Chemical Warfare Agents: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, Second Edition explores the latest methods and products for preventing, diagnosing, and treating the acute and chronic effects of toxic CWA exposure. This edition citesthe key developments in chemical defense research since 2001, including new epidemiological or clinical studies of exposed or potentially exposed populations; new treatment concepts and products; improved organization...
	Chemical Warfare Agents: Toxicity at Low Levels by Informa Healthcare This book presents a comprehensive examination of chemical warfare agents including nerve agents, mustard, cyanide, phosgene, organoarsenics, lacrimators, and defoliating agents. Coverage includes the chemistry, toxicity, mechanism of action, and treatment of measures, as well as historical, sociopsychological, and public health aspects. Protection for civilian populations is included.
	The History Channel Presents: Toxic Agents, Viruses, Chemical & Biological Warfare (2-DVD Set, 8-Documentaries, 2008): On The Trail of A Killer Virus / Smallpox: Deadly Again? / Outbreak! New Plagues / Doomsday Flu / SARS And The New Plagues / Clouds of Death / Insidious Killers / Chemical & Biological Weapons A&E (Total 6 hrs 40 min) Viruses, bacterial diseases, biological and chemical warfare are thoroughly explored. Discover the long history of each and find out what new outbreaks are on the horizon. What are we doing to fight them? · A real-life Andromeda Strain! · 8 complete programs from the authoritative History Channel on a 2 disc set · Set exposes the myths surrounding chemical and biological warfare while alerting you to the real danger they present. Discover the world of viral killers, from the 1918 flu that killed 22 million people worldwide to modern-day outbreaks of AIDS, Ebola and hantavirus. These viral killers are brought on by profound changes in the environment and human behavior. Listen to scholars, scientists, researchers, physicians, and military historians as we navigate the cutting edge of...
	Chemical Warfare Agents: Toxicology and Treatment by Dr Timothy T. Marrs (Editor), Robert L. Maynard (Editor), Frederick Sidell (Editor) Chemical Warfare Agents, Second Edition has been totally revised since the successful first edition and expanded to about three times the length, with many new chapters and much more in-depth consideration of all the topics. The chapters have been written by distinguished international experts in various aspects of chemical warfare agents and edited by an experienced team to produce a clear review of the field. The book now contains a wealth of material on the mechanisms of action of the major chemical warfare agents, including the nerve agent cyclosarin, formally considered to be of secondary importance, as well as ricin and abrin. Chemical Warfare Agents, Second Edition discusses the physico-chemical properties of chemical warfare agents, their dispersion and fate in the...
	POTENTIAL AGENTS OF CHEMICAL WARFARE Worst-case scenario protection and decontamination methods The intentional release of pulmonary agents, cyanides, ... agents demands an immediate response. by JTE Multimedia Abstract: The intentional release of pulmonary agents, cyanides, incapacitating agents, or riot-control agents is increasingly likely in our unstable global political environment. In the chaos and panic that invariably would follow a chemical attack, primary care physicians would be relied on to provide care for the injured and guidance for emergency response crews. In this article, a complement to the bioterrorism symposium featured in the August issue, Drs Lazarus and Devereaux outline triage and safety protocols to follow in the wake of such an event. A related article on vesicants and nerve agents appeared in the October issue. Lazarus AA, Devereaux A. Potential agents of chemical warfare.
	Toxic Agents: Viruses and Chemical & Biological Warfare (The History Channel) Also With: Gayle Gilman (Producer), Susan Werbe (Producer), Charlie Maday (Producer), Margaret Kim (Producer), Mike Wallace (Primary Contributor) Viruses, bacterial diseases, biological and chemical warfare are thoroughly explored. Discover the long history of each and find out what new outbreaks are on the horizon. What are we doing to fight them? · A real-life Andromeda Strain! · 8 complete programs from the authoritative History Channel on a 2 disc set · Set exposes the myths surrounding chemical and biological warfare while alerting you to the real danger they present. Discover the world of viral killers, from the 1918 flu that killed 22 million people worldwide to modern-day outbreaks of AIDS, Ebola and hantavirus. These viral killers are brought on by profound changes in the environment and human behavior. Listen to scholars, scientists, researchers, physicians, and military historians as we navigate the cutting edge of...
	A Laboratory History of Chemical Warfare Agents by Jared, Ledgard (Author) A Laboratory History of Chemical Warfare Agents is a revolutionary new book discussing the laboratory preparation of some of the most interesting toxic substances known to man. However broad the field may be, this book is an invaluable collection of nearly 100 years of chemical warfare research and history. From the researcher to the student or just plain novice, the information contained herein will change the way you think about warfare agents and their properties. The book is a valuable educational tool designed to give the reader a full picture of the world of chemical warfare agents. NOTE TO CUSTOMERS, this book has been renamed from The Preparatory Manual of Chemical Warfare Agents so if you have already purchased The Preparatory Manual of Chemical Warfare Agents in the past, then...
	Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents by Academic Press This exciting book covers every aspect of deadly toxic chemicals used as weapons of mass destruction and employed in conflicts, warfare and terrorism. Including findings from experimental as well as clinical studies, this one-of-a-kind handbook is prepared in a very user- friendly format that can easily be followed by students, teachers and researchers, as well as lay people. Stand alone chapters on individual chemicals and major topics allow the reader to easily access required information without searching through the entire book.This is the first book that offers in-depth coverage of individual toxicants, target organ toxicity, major incidents, toxic effects in humans, animals and wildlife, biosensors, biomarkers, on-site and laboratory analytical methods, decontamination and...
	Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, Second Edition by D. Hank Ellison (Author) Extensively revised and updated, this second edition of the bestselling Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents goes well beyond the “dirty thirty” commonly discussed agents and provides rapid access to a wide range of agents that can be used as weapons. This edition incorporates additional classes of agents, expands existing classes, and increases the number of agents described. Expanding the scope of the original, this edition is rich with scientific data and provides more information on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of these agents and their health effects. Highly organized and cross-referenced to provide instant access to the most authoritative data, this handbook is divided into classes based on the common military groupings of chemical,...
	Agent Orange: 30 Years Later Starring: victims of Agent Orange Directed By: John Trinh Also With: John Trinh (Producer), John Trinh (Writer) Agent Orange is the code name for the major herbicide that was used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to deny coverage (trees and bushes) of the North Vietnamese guerrilla soldiers. The film tells the story of several victims of Agent Orange - from the North to the South of Viet Nam - who were exposed to the substance when it was sprayed during the war. It interweaves compelling interviews with images culled from the archives to tell the tales of horror of people, from babies to grandparents, male and female, North and South Viet Nam living with difficult choices to make: pro-life or abortion, alien diseases, deformities, fear, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, pain, and poverty. It is more of a drama than a news reportage, or merely an observation. The goal...