We have investigated the absorption spectra of seventeen explosives and related compounds (ERCs) by using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in the 0.1-2.8 THz region. Most of these substances show characteristic absorption features in this frequency range. The measured absorption coefficients of these ERCs form a database, which is of great importance for biochemical, defense and security related applications.

The reflection spectrum of the explosive RDX was acquired from a diffuse reflection measurement using a THz time-domain spectroscopy system in combination with a diffuse reflectance accessory. By applying the Kramers-Kronig transform to the reflection spectrum, the absorption spectrum (0.2-1.8 THz) was obtained. It agrees with the result from a transmission measurement and distinguishes RDX from other materials. The effect of the reference spectrum was examined by using both a Teflon pellet and a copper plate as references. The strong absorption of RDX at 0.82 THz allowed it to be identified by the diffuse reflection measurement even when the RDX sample was covered with certain optically opaque materials. Our investigation demonstrates that THz technique is capable of detecting and identifying hidden RDX-related explosives in a diffuse reflection mode, which is crucial for the standoff detection in the real world applications.

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