Tucson, Ariz.-based Ionatron Inc., developer of Laser Guided Energy and related products for defense and security customers, received a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Research contract from the US Army Research Office for continued development of light filament sensor technology. The contract is for $389,502 for 12 months and includes the option for $351,286 for another 12 months. Successful completion of the project could lead to a Phase III contract for the development of a sensor/detector for dual use.

Applications include homeland security and airport screening as well as identification of toxins or toxic residue in industrial and military settings. Ionatron and its partner, Denton Group at the University of Arizona, plan to build a database of chemical signatures using the laser facilities of Ionatron and the chemical sensor expertise of Denton. The group also will build a special-purpose sensor system for integration into Ionatron’s laser system to demonstrate the new capability.