Frequency-selective detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals

Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) offers an unequivocal method of detecting and identifying both hidden explosives, such as land mines, and a variety of narcotics. Unfortunately, the practical use of NQR is restricted by a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and means to improve the SNR are vital to enable a rapid, reliable, and convenient system. In this paper, we introduce a frequency-selective approximate maximum-likelihood (FSAML) detector, operating on a subset of the available frequencies, making it robust to the typically present narrow-band interference. The method exploits the inherent temperature dependency of the NQR frequencies as a way to enhance the SNR. Numerical evaluations, using both simulated and real NQR data, indicate a significant gain in probability of accurate detection as compared to a current state-of-the-art approach.