Guidance

Market Exploration: Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance and Electron Spin Resonance for Explosives and Drugs Detection

A Market Exploration to identify technological solutions to detect Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) Signals with atomic magnetometers (AM) and modelling/studies on radiation induced Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements.

• From: Defence and Security Accelerator
• Published: 3 October 2023
• Last updated: 27 October 2023 — See all updates

Documents

Market Exploration Document: Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance and Electron Spin Resonance for Explosives and Drugs Detection

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On behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Counter Terrorism and Security Division, DASA is running a Market Exploration to identify technologies between Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to 6 to provide a better understanding of existing market capabilities and less mature lines of development across UK and international industry and academia.

One focus of this call is developing atomic magnetometers to detect NQR signals typical from explosives and drugs in a practical realisation. The other focus is on modelling the feasibility of using ionising radiation to generate free radicals, in explosives which do not naturally contain any, and then detect those radicals with an ESR measurement.

Whilst potentially successful technologies and concepts may be exploited within any future acquisition programmes, please note that this request for information is not a commitment to subsequently launch a formal DASA competition. However, as Dstl programmes in this area work closely with international partners, submissions may get exposure to wider international government audiences.

Published 3 October 2023
Last updated 27 October 2023 + show all updates

1. 27 October 2023

   Updated the closing date to 5th December 2023

2. 3 October 2023

   First published.