Scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a prototype laser device capable of detecting tiny traces of explosive vapour, an invention that has the potential to put bomb sniffer dogs out of a job. The prototype – a pulsed, quantum laser-based, cavity ring-down spectrometer – is being tested at the US government’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The laser machine is “about 100 times more sensitive and 100 times faster than any other detection device,” Associate Professor Charles Harb from UNSW’s School of Engineering and Information Technology said in an interview with UNSW’s quarterly publication Uniken. The laser device could sniff bags travelling along a conveyor belt and instantly alert security personnel if it detects explosive vapours from a passing object, such as a suitcase. The device could replace intrusive airport security checks such as pat downs and full body scans and bomb sniffer dogs, UNSW said. According to Harb, the device uses mirrors to repeatedly pass through the vapour in a “figure-of-eight” path, which provides a more accurate measurement. “We can measure the components of TNT very clearly, down to the tiny sub-millitorr pressures, in other words in the parts per billion range in atmosphere,” Harb said in his interview with Uniken. Harb expected that it would take two years of testing and calibrating the prototype – to detect “unique signatures of other substances and different types of explosives” – before it’s ready for commercial use. Harb and his team at UNSW began working on the device in 2005 when they were asked by the Australian Federal Police to create a machine that could assist with forensic investigations and detect explosive residue at crime scenes. Harb said police wanted a machine that could work around-the-clock to “identify the actual type of explosive and check every suitcase passing on a conveyor belt”, which is something that sniffer dogs can’t do. Harb and his team, Scientia Professor Ian Peterson and research associates Dr Toby Boyson and Dr Abhijit Kallapur, developed the device after receiving a grant from the Australian Research Council in 2009. Related content feature Red Hat embraces hybrid cloud for internal IT The maker of OpenShift has leveraged its own open container offering to migrate business-critical apps to AWS as part of a strategy to move beyond facilitating hybrid cloud for others and capitalize on the model for itself. By Paula Rooney May 29, 2023 5 mins CIO 100 Technology Industry Hybrid Cloud feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe