Daytime rapid detection of minerals and organics from 50 and 100 m distances using a Remote Raman system

摘要

We have developed a remote Raman system, using an 8-in telescope and a 532-nm pulse laser (20 Hz and 20 mJ/pulse), which is capable of operating in daylight. From distances of 50 and 100 m and with an integration time of just 1 second (equivalent to 20 laser pulses at 20 Hz), good quality Raman spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios were readily obtained. The Raman system was also tested using only single-laser-pulse excitation (8 ns pulse width) with an integration time of 2 μs. The spectra obtained from single-laser-pulse excitation also show clear Raman features and can be used for rapid, unambiguous identification of various chemical substances. We successfully identified a number of substances, including organic chemicals (acetone, naphthalene, nitro-methane, nitro-benzene and cyclohexane); inorganic chemicals and minerals (nitric acids, sulfuric acid, potassium perchlorate, gypsum, ammonium nitrate, epsomite, melanterite, calcite and sulfur); and amino acids. The remote Raman system has a range of applications, such as environmental monitoring (e.g., detection of hazardous chemicals and chemical spills from a safe distance in real time) or homeland security (e.g., rapid identification of chemicals on a conveyor belt or from a fast-moving object).