High-sensitivity detection of TNT.

We report high-sensitivity detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by using laser photoacoustic spectroscopy where the laser radiation is obtained from a continuous-wave room temperature high-power quantum cascade laser in an external grating cavity geometry. The external grating cavity quantum cascade laser is continuously tunable over approximately 400 nm around 7.3 microm and produces a maximum continuous-wave power of approximately 200 mW.