Technology to revolutionise airport security

Detecting residual vapours of chemicals, explosives and biological agents without delving into people's luggage is the future of airport security with the help of research at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Co-leader of QUT's Applied Optics Program, Dr Dmitri Gramotnev said his research discovered metallic structures called plasmonic waveguides that could focus light into nanoscale regions, unachievable in conventional optics.

These structures may allow detection and identification of extremely small amounts of substances, even separate molecules in the air.

"This type of system could revolutionise airport security, air quality monitoring and forensic investigation," he said.

"To detect explosives, chemicals or biological agents currently, a piece of tape is brushed over a person's luggage and taken away for testing. All going well with the newly developed nano-focusing technology, luggage could be monitored and any vapours from suspect agents detected as people pass through airports."

Gramotnev said the research was also being applied to developing new imaging techniques, trapping and manipulation of nano-particles and molecules on surfaces, and new photo-induced nanofabrication processes such as high quality nano-lithography.