Researchers have discovered a groundbreaking method to remotely detect radioactive material from 10 meters away using CO2 lasers, surpassing previous methods by ten times. By utilizing the ionization in the air caused by radioactive material emitting particles, a team of researchers from various national laboratories achieved this significant advancement. The technique involves creating microplasmas that scatter laser light, which can be detected by measuring the backscattered light profile. While the promise of this technology for nuclear disaster response and security is exciting, the deployment of CO2 lasers in real-world applications could present challenges due to their bulkiness.
https://physicsworld.com/a/co2-laser-enables-long-range-detection-of-radioactive-material/