New sensor detects gaseous chemical weapon surrogates in 45 seconds

A conceptual prototype of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Quartz Vibrational Resonator Laser Photo-acoustic Sensing technology. The prototype includes 10 pairs of quantum cascade lasers and tuning forks in a box that is 12 inches long, 12 inches wide and 6 inches high. The full case would weigh less than 15 pounds. The technology can detect gaseous nerve agent surrogates, at the sub-part-per-billion level, in less than one minute. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory