Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance for Substance Detection

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy for substance detection, highlighting its principles, methodologies, and applications. The paper elucidates the fundamental physics underlying NQR spectroscopy, emphasizing the interaction between nuclear quadrupole moments and electric field gradients. It explores the various experimental techniques and instrumentation developments that have enabled the sensitive detection and precise characterization of substances containing quadrupolar nuclei. A significant portion of the survey is dedicated to discussing the diverse applications of NQR spectroscopy, including the detection of explosives, drug pharmaceuticals, and material authentication. Furthermore, the survey examines the challenges and limitations associated with NQR spectroscopy, including issues related to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), temperature dependency, and substance restrictions. Strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed, offering insights into the future directions of NQR spectroscopy research that includes artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) integration, incorporating a cloud database for NQR parameter storage, and multi-modal analysis.. Authors: Horace-Herron, Kelsey L. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000204312306); Masna, Naren Raj [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)]; Bhunia, Swarup [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000160826961); Mandal, Soumyajit [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000190702337); Ray, Sandip [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)]. DOE Contract: SC0012704. Subjects: 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; electric quadrupole moment; instrumentation; security screening; substance detection