title: A miniaturized NQR spectrometer for a multi-channel NQR-based detection device.
abstract: A low frequency (0.5-5 MHz) battery operated sensitive pulsed NQR spectrometer with a transmitter power up to 5 W and a total mass of about 3 kg aimed at detecting (14)N NQR signals, predominantly of illicit materials, was designed and assembled. This spectrometer uses a standard software defined radio (SDR) platform for the data acquisition unit. Signal processing is done with the LabView Virtual instrument on a personal computer. We successfully tested the spectrometer by measuring (14)N NQR signals from aminotetrazole monohydrate (ATMH), potassium nitrate (PN), paracetamol (PCM) and trinitrotoluene (TNT). Such a spectrometer is a feasible component of a portable single or multichannel (14)N NQR based detection device.
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Samo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beguš
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Vojko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jazbinšek
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Janez
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirnat
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: zvonko.trontelj@fmf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Trontelj
keywords: Illicit substances detection; LabView Virtual instrument; Nuclear quadrupole resonance; Portable spectrometer; Software defined radio platform