Israel Invents Technology Enabling Bomb Detection from Long-Distances

Middle eastern businessman doing business trip and walk in the escalator at airport while carrying luggage (courtesy: Shutterstock)

By Judy Siegel-Itzkovich

Hashem saw that the light was good, and Hashem separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/142849/israel-invents-technology-enabling-bomb-detection-from-long-distances/

The ageless movie-, TV show- and comic-book star Superman has the powers of flight, superhuman strength, x-ray vision, heat vision, cold breath, super-speed, enhanced hearing and near invulnerability – but he is not absolutely all-powerful. 

He would probably feel comfortable in the company of Prof. Tal Ellenbogen and other researchers from the Nanoscale Electro-Optics Lab in the physical electronics department at Tel Aviv University (TAU) who have developed a new method for producing and controlling terahertz waves using nanometric materials. Their groundbreaking study can speed up the development of a vast range of critical new applications in the fields of medicine, technology, security and more.

Terahertz radiation can penetrate fabrics and plastics, so it can be used in surveillance, such as security screening, used remotely to uncover concealed weapons on a person. This is of particular interest because many materials of interest have unique spectral “fingerprints” in the terahertz range. 

Terahertz radiation – also known as submillimeter radiation, terahertz waves, T-rays, T-waves, T-light or THz – consists of electromagnetic waves within the band of frequencies from 0.3 to 3 terahertz. 

Terahertz waves are electromagnetic waves that are shorter than microwaves and longer than infrared waves.

Terahertz radiation can penetrate thin layers of materials but is blocked by thicker objects. THz beams transmitted through materials can be used to characterize materials and inspect layers and as an alternative to x-rays for producing high resolution images of the interior of solid objects.  

microwaves, terahertz radiation can penetrate a wide variety of non-conducting materials; clothing, paper, cardboard, wood, masonry, plastic and ceramics. 

The Earth’s atmosphere is a strong absorber of terahertz radiation, so the range of terahertz radiation in air is limited to tens of meters, making it unsuitable for long-distance communications. But at distances of about 10 meters the band may still allow many useful applications in imaging and construction of high bandwidth wireless networking systems, especially indoor systems. 

The TAU study, regarded as “groundbreaking,” will enable the detection of fake medications and explosives from afar, as well as non-ionizing medical imaging. 

The results were recently published in both Nature Communications and Nano Letters and will be presented at the beginning of next month at the SPIE Photonics West international photonics and laser exhibition in San Francisco. The study was carried out by Ellenbogen together with research students Shay Keren-Zur and May Tal from his lab, in collaboration with Prof. Daniel Mittleman of Brown University in the US and Dr. Sharly Fleischer from TAU’s School of Chemistry.

Their results were recently published in the prestigious journals Nature Communications and Nano Letters and will be presented at the beginning of February 2020 in the SPIE Photonics West international photonics and laser exhibition in San Francisco.

Ellenbogen says that the scientific community has known for many years that terahertz waves are very important due to their unique interaction with materials, which makes them useful for accurately identifying different materials. In addition, terahertz waves can pass through materials and objects that appear opaque to other wavelengths, and thus can be used to detect hidden objects and even reveal their composition.  But despite their great importance, the ability to produce and control terahertz waves has been very limited compared to other forms of radiation.

The new project makes use of engineered nanometric surfaces known as meta-surfaces, enabling unprecedented production and control of terahertz waves. These surfaces were produced with advanced nanotechnological techniques at TAU’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

The researchers created surfaces paved with nanometric gold antennas (one nanometer or one billionth of a meter) that effectively receive light from lasers emitting ultrashort infrared pulses, then convert the energy and transmit terahertz pulses instead. By controlling the antennas on the meta-surfaces, the researchers demonstrated that the spatial and temporal shape of the terahertz pulse can be preplanned, in a way that has never been possible before.

“The demonstration we performed in the lab breaks new ground, because the use of nanometric materials and the ability to produce light from them in a controllable manner, add important technological tools and new abilities, taking research in this field a big step forward,” said Ellenbogen. 

“The ability to fully control the spatial shape and other properties of terahertz waves, as demonstrated in the study, enables the development and implementation of advanced imaging methods and new techniques of microscopy and spectroscopy. Thus, for example, they will improve the ability to detect from afar, without chemical lab tests, the composition and spatial structure of materials. This will enable, for instance, the easy detection of fake medications and explosives.

Nano-sized Chip "Sniffs Out" Explosives Far Better than Trained Dogs: TAU researcher's groundbreaking sensor detects miniscule concentrations of hazardous materials in the air

http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=49855

Nano-sized Chip "Sniffs Out" Explosives Far Better than Trained Dogs: TAU researcher's groundbreaking sensor detects miniscule concentrations of hazardous materials in the air

Abstract:
Security forces worldwide rely on sophisticated equipment, trained personnel, and detection dogs to safeguard airports and other public areas against terrorist attacks. A revolutionary new electronic chip with nano-sized chemical sensors is about to make their job much easier.

New York, NY | Posted on July 23rd, 2014

The groundbreaking nanotechnology-inspired sensor, devised by Prof. Fernando Patolsky of Tel Aviv University's School of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and developed by the Herzliya company Tracense, picks up the scent of explosives molecules better than a detection dog's nose. Research on the sensor was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

Existing explosives sensors are expensive, bulky and require expert interpretation of the findings. In contrast, the new sensor is mobile, inexpensive, and identifies in real time — and with great accuracy — explosives in the air at concentrations as low as a few molecules per 1,000 trillion.

A nano-nose to compete with a dog's

"Using a single tiny chip that consists of hundreds of supersensitive sensors, we can detect ultra low traces of extremely volatile explosives in air samples, and clearly fingerprint and differentiate them from other non-hazardous materials," said Prof. Patolsky, a top researcher in the field of nanotechnology. "In real time, it detects small molecular species in air down to concentrations of parts-per-quadrillion, which is four to five orders of magnitude more sensitive than any existing technological method, and two to three orders of magnitude more sensitive than a dog's nose.

"This chip can also detect improvised explosives, such as TATP (triacetone triperoxide), used in suicide bombing attacks in Israel and abroad," Prof. Patolsky added.

The clusters of nano-sized transistors used in the prototype are extremely sensitive to chemicals, which cause changes in the electrical conductance of the sensors upon surface contact. When just a single molecule of an explosive comes into contact with the sensors, it binds with them, triggering a rapid and accurate mathematical analysis of the material.

"Animals are influenced by mood, weather, state of health and working hours, the oversaturation of olfactory system, and much more," said Prof. Patolsky. "They also cannot tell us what they smell. Automatic sensing systems are superior candidates to dogs, working at least as well or better than nature. This is not an easy task, but was achieved through the development of novel technologies such as our sensor."

A technology for a safer world

The trace detector, still in prototype, identifies several different types of explosives several meters from the source in real time. It has been tested on the explosives TNT, RDX, and HMX, used in commercial blasting and military applications, as well as peroxide-based explosives like TATP and HMTD. The latter are commonly used in homemade bombs and are very difficult to detect using existing technology.

"Our breakthrough has the potential to change the way hazardous materials are detected, and of course should provide populations with more security," said Prof. Patolsky. "The faster, more sensitive detection of tiny amounts of explosives in the air will provide for a better and safer world."

Tracense has invested over $10M in research and development of the device since 2007, and expects to go to market next year. Prof.Patolsky and his team of researchers are currently performing multiple and extensive field tests of prototype devices of the sensor.

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For more information, please click here

Contacts:
George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070

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CMOS chips could lead to low-cost security imaging systems

http://phys.org/news/2012-09-radiation-enabled-chips-low-cost-imaging.html#jCp
With homeland security on high alert, screening systems to search for concealed weapons are crucial pieces of equipment. But these systems are often prohibitively expensive, putting them out of reach for public spaces such as train and bus stations, stadiums, or malls, where they could be beneficial

Now Dr. Eran Socher of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering is reconfiguring existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips designed for computers and turning them into high frequency circuits. The ultimate goal is to produce chips with radiation capabilities, able to see through packaging and clothing to produce an image of what may be hidden underneath. Currently being developed through a collaboration between teams at TAU and Frankfurt University, the chip could be the basis of sophisticated but affordable and portable detection technology able to meet everyday security needs. The research has been published in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters and will be presented at the International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves in Australia this September. Big security benefits on a miniaturized scale Currently, advanced security technology is massive in size and comes with a massive price tag. Such scanning systems are often developed for selected airports or used by NASA for space exploration, says Dr. Socher. "Our concept is different. For everyday use, security technology needs to be both small and cheap," he explains. By adding new capabilities to existing CMOS technology, already mass-produced for computers and other mobile devices, the researchers are producing new integrated circuits at an affordable price. The chip, which measures a miniature 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm, newly integrates antennae, giving it the ability to receive and transmit millimeter wave or terahertz radiation. When combined with either mechanical or electronic scanning technology, the resulting radiation can produce an image. Unlike X-ray technology which penetrates the body, the chip is designed to see only through materials such envelopes, clothing, or luggage, stopping at the human skin. Because the chip works with radiation levels that are lower than those of a cell phone, it circumvents health concerns. And the chip can also produce a more accurate depiction of concealed objects, an advantage over common metal detectors which aren't very specific or sensitive, says Dr. Socher. Facilitating high-speed transfers Another application for the chips, which have a range of only a few meters but operate at high frequencies, is high-speed communications. The data rate can range from 1 to ten gigabytes per second, explains Dr. Socher, so the chip could be used to transfer a file—like an uncompressed high-definition video from a mobile device to a screen or projector—wirelessly and within seconds. Communications and software companies have already expressed an interest in this technology, he says, and the researchers have received a grant from the Broadcom Foundation in the US to support and further their research. Provided by Tel Aviv University

Researchers take wireless to ludicrous speed at 2.5 Tbps

http://gigaom.com/mobile/researchers-take-wireless-to-ludicrous-speed-at-2-5-tbps/
By Stacey Higginbotham
Researchers at the University of Southern California, Tel Aviv University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab have used their massive brains to show off a way todeliver speeds of 2.5 terabits per secondwirelessly. That’s 500,000 times faster than the current low-end LTE speeds and 5,000 times faster than the 5.5 gigabits per second, which is the fastest theoretical wireless broadband I’ve encountered in my years covering wireless.

These researchers have managed to achieve this epic speed at a distance of less than one meter using what researchers call “twisted signals.” According to Extreme Tech, which explains it so well:

These twisted signals use orbital angular momentum (OAM) to cram much more data into a single stream. In current state-of-the-art transmission protocols (WiFi, LTE, COFDM), we only modulate the spin angular momentum (SAM) of radio waves, not the OAM. If you picture the Earth, SAM is our planet spinning on its axis, while OAM is our movement around the Sun. Basically, the breakthrough here is that researchers have created a wireless network protocol that uses both OAM and SAM.

The resulting technology offers the spectral efficiency of 95.7 bits per hertz. To put that into perspective, today on Verizon’s LTE network, the equipment delivers 1.5 bits per hertz of spectrum. By delivering so much data per hertz of spectrum, the barriers toward building ever-faster networks as defined by Shannon’s Law would become fundamentally reset, allowing the next generation of engineers to build networks unimaginable to today’s generation.

Obviously, the usual caveats around new technologies apply. So far this is in the lab only. The speeds aren’t maintained for long distances and are based on lightwaves as opposed to radio waves (this means line of sight is essential). There’s no indication of how much power chips to deliver this type of speed would consume, and there’s no actual ecosystem in place to support or even twist those wavelengths.

That being said, there’s no Moore’s Law governing wireless networks, which is a real problem given how much data we are demanding via mobile networks. Granted, Wi-Fi andmore efficient technologies will help, but we need a fundamental breakthrough on the physics side to keep up with wireless consumption. Terahertz spectrum and chips are one way, and these twisted signals might be another. As a plus, they could work on fiber optic networks too, which means we might see another boost in broadband capacity along our long haul and core networks.