Patent ID: 9157852
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: G01N,G01S,G01V

Abstract:
1. A system for detecting explosive materials, comprising at least one high power electromagnetic transmitter configured to radiate a sample with high power electromagnetic radiation; at least one electromagnetic sensor configured to detect one or more non-linear electromagnetic reflections having a harmonic frequency corresponding to one or more harmonic frequencies of the radiated high power electromagnetic radiation, wherein the non-linear electromagnetic reflections are reflected by the sample in response to the radiated high power electromagnetic radiation; and a processor configured to control the at least one high power electromagnetic transmitter to control at least one characteristic of the radiated high power electromagnetic radiation; wherein the processor is further configured to process the detected one or more non-linear electromagnetic reflections having a harmonic frequency to identify a match between the detected one or more non-linear electromagnetic reflections having a harmonic frequency and one or more harmonic reflections associated with at least one explosive material by comparing the one or more non-linear electromagnetic reflections with representations, loaded from a memory, of the one or more harmonic reflections associated with at least one explosive material, wherein the processor, upon identifying the match, is further configured indicate detection of an explosive material, wherein the processor is further configured to indicate a type of the detected explosive material, wherein the processor controls the high power electromagnetic transmitter to radiate the high power electromagnetic radiation at a power density level configured to minimize penetration depth of the high power electromagnetic radiation into the sample and cause the high power electromagnetic radiation to reflect off of the sample non-linearly, producing the one or more non-linear electromagnetic reflections having the harmonic frequency corresponding to the one or more harmonic frequencies of the radiated high power electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the processor further controls the high power electromagnetic transmitter to radiate the high power electromagnetic radiation at the power density level to avoid ignition or detonation of the sample.