Performance verification of a LIF-LIDAR technique for stand-off detection and classification of biological agents

LIF (laser-induced fluorescence) LIDAR (light detection and ranging) is one of the very few promising methods in terms of long-range stand-off detection of air-borne biological particles. A limited classification of the detected material also appears as a feasible asset. We present the design details and hardware setup of the developed range-resolved multichannel LIF-LIDAR system. The device is based on two pulsed UV laser sources operating at 355nm and 266nm wavelength (3rd and 4th harmonic of Nd:YAG, Q-switched solid-state laser, respectively). Range-resolved fluorescence signals are collected in 28 channels of compound PMT sensor coupled with Czerny–Turner spectrograph. The calculated theoretical sensitivities are confronted with the results obtained during measurement field campaign. Classification efforts based on 28-digit fluorescence spectral signatures linear processing are also presented. •The developed space-resolved multi-channel LIF-LIDAR system is discussed.•Stand-off bio-detection field campaign is described.•The obtained results are confronted with the predicted range performance.•Linear data analysis methods for real-time bio-classification are discussed.