ABSTRACT
Detection and identication of explosives has been a highly active area of research and development, particularly since the outset of the conicts in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). This chapter emphasizes recent developments in the laser-based detection of explosives exploiting photothermal (PT) spectroscopy. Successful applications of a variety of photothermal methods in gases and condensed matter have resulted in a substantial body of literature. The following discussion summarizes these methods and the experimental components and arrangements for PT detection, as well as its use for explosive sensing. Applications of photothermal spectroscopy, specically laser-based sensing schemes, are reviewed, along with standoff detection techniques. It is not our intention to discuss all photothermal methods in great detail, as not all of these have been applied to explosives detection. Instead, we hope to provide the reader with a general overview of contemporary photothermal methods used for explosives detection.
