Papers by Ivano Menicucci
Development and Test of Low-Cost Multi-channel Multi-frequency Lock-In Amplifier for Health and Environment Sensing
A Novel LIBS Sensor for Sample Examinations on a Crime Scene
Sensors, Feb 24, 2024
Sensors
Stand-off detection of latent traces avoids the scene alteration that might occur during close in... more Stand-off detection of latent traces avoids the scene alteration that might occur during close inspection by handheld forensic lights. Here, we describe a novel sensor, named Crime Light Imaging (CLI), designed to perform high-resolution photography of targets at a distance of 2–10 m and to visualize some common latent traces. CLI is based on four high-power illumination LEDs and one color CMOS camera with a motorized objective plus frontal filters; the LEDs and camera could be synchronized to obtain short-exposure images weakly dependent on the ambient light. The sensor is integrated into a motorized platform, providing the target scanning and necessary information for 3D scene reconstruction. The whole system is portable and equipped with a user-friendly interface. The preliminary tests of CLI on fingerprints at distance of 7 m showed an excellent image resolution and drastic contrast enhancement under green LED light. At the same distance, a small (1 µL) blood droplet on black ti...
Journal of nuclear engineering, Feb 7, 2023
Article Submersible Spectrofluorometer for Real-Time Sensing of Water Quality
sensors
Sensors, 2020
An innovative hyperspectral LIDAR instrument has been developed for applications in marine enviro... more An innovative hyperspectral LIDAR instrument has been developed for applications in marine environment monitoring research activities, remotely detecting the fluorescence spectra produced in the spectral interval between 400 nm and 720 nm. The detection system is composed by a custom made photomultiplier charge integrating and measuring (CIM) unit, which makes automatic background signal subtraction, and a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF). The new instrument therefore has hyperspectral resolution and allows automatic background subtraction; it is compact and automated by custom software that permit to adapt the instrument properties depending on the environmental conditions. Laboratory tests to characterize the instrument performance have been carried out, concluding that this sensor can be employed in remote sites for Chl-a detection.
Sensors, 2019
Here, we describe an innovative Integrated Laser Sensor (ILS) that combines four spectroscopic te... more Here, we describe an innovative Integrated Laser Sensor (ILS) that combines four spectroscopic techniques and two vision systems into a unique, transportable device. The instrument performs Raman and Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy excited at 355 nm and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) excited at 1064 nm, and it also detects Laser Scattering (LS) from the target under illumination at 650 nm. The combination of these techniques supplies information about: material change from one scanning point to another, the presence of surface contaminants, and the molecular and elemental composition of top target layers. Switching between the spectroscopic techniques and the laser wavelengths is fully automatic. The instrument is equipped with an autofocus, and it performs scanning with a chosen grid density over an interactively-selected target area. Alternative to the spectroscopic measurements, it is possible to switch the instrument to a high magnification target view...
Metal-Induced Crystallization of Polycrystalline Silicon by In-Situ Excimer Laser Annealing During Low-Pressure CVD Growth
Materials Science Forum, 2004
Polycrystalline silicon films were grown from Si2H6 by Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LP... more Polycrystalline silicon films were grown from Si2H6 by Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD) at 800K and in-situ laser annealing of amorphous silicon seed layers deposited on different metallic films. According to the Metal Induced Crystallization effect, the presence of the metal induces a lower-temperature crystallization of silicon in the seed layers. The influence of different metals on the obtained morphologies and crystalline phases were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The experimental results show that the film morphology depends strongly on the metal used to promote the silicon crystallization.
Sensors, 2015
In this work, we present a newly developed submersible spectrofluorometer (patent pending) applie... more In this work, we present a newly developed submersible spectrofluorometer (patent pending) applied to real-time sensing of water quality, suitable for monitoring some important indicators of the ecological status of natural waters such as chlorophyll-a, oil and protein-like material. For the optomechanical realization of the apparatus, a novel conceptual design has been adopted in order to avoid filters and pumps while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. The elimination of filters and pumps has the advantage of greater system simplicity and especially of avoiding the risk of sample degradation. The use of light-emitting diodes as an excitation source instead of Xe lamps or laser diodes helped save on size, weight, power consumption and costs. For sensor calibration we performed measurements on water samples with added chlorophyll prepared in the laboratory. The sensor functionality was tested during field campaigns conducted at Albano Lake in Latium Region of Italy as well as in the Herzliya Harbor, a few kilometers North East of Tel Aviv in Israel. The obtained results are reported in the paper. The sensitivity achieved for chlorophyll-a detection was found to be at least 0.2 µg/L.
Cyanobacteria detection in the Lake Vico using Compact and Advanced laser SPEctrometeR (CASPER) prototype
ABSTRACT Phytoplankton is an important bio-indicator of general ecologic status of water bodies. ... more ABSTRACT Phytoplankton is an important bio-indicator of general ecologic status of water bodies. Cyanobacteria are common members of the plankton and under favourable environmental conditions can quickly multiply and form blooms. Potentially toxic cyanobacteria are particularly abundant in eutrophic and thermally stable lakes. The increase in the trophic status of Lake Vico is followed by a significant growth of Planktothrix rubescens. Evaluation of in vivo fluorescence chlorophyll is widely accepted as a proxy of phytoplankton biomass. The Compact and Advanced laser SPEctrometeR (CASPER, patented by ENEA) is a portable fluorescence spectral system for the real-time assessment of sensitive aquatic components, like chromophoric dissolved organic matter, proteins-like components, algal pigments. The CASPER instrument prototype is based on double filtration (30 and 0,22 µm) and lasers excitation (266 and 405 nm) system in order to detect both dissolved and particulate components of waters. The quantification of photosynthetic pigments, including accessory phycobiliproteins, determines the contribution of each taxonomic groups. The CASPER instrument is equipped with an ad-hoc software for spectral analysis: in order to contribute to the marker pigments and phytoplankton groups identification a spectral deconvolution procedure based on laboratory and field measurements was developed. In this work freshwater samples from different depths (surface, -15,-30 m) have been collected and analyzed from December 2012 through March 2013. The present results demonstrate the CASPER capability to provide an early warning system for harmful algal blooms detection and eutrophic status of water bodies assessment.
Obiettivo principale di questo studio (finanziato dalla L.R. 7 "Promozione della ricerca scientif... more Obiettivo principale di questo studio (finanziato dalla L.R. 7 "Promozione della ricerca scientifica e dell'innovazione tecnologica" della Regione Autonoma della Sardegna per il periodo Maggio 2010 -Maggio 2012) è rappresentato dalla calibrazione di algoritmi bio-ottici per una stima più accurata di Clorofilla-a (Chl-a) nelle acque del Golfo dell'Asinara (Nord Sardegna, Italia) utilizzando dati telerilevati e misure in situ. Le misure in situ sono state effettuate con lo spettrofluorimetro laser portatile CASPER (Compact e Advanced Laser Spectrometer -Brevetto ENEA) che ha permesso non solo di quantificare le concentrazioni di Chl-a ma anche di individuare la presenza di altri pigmenti algali (ficoeritrina, ficocianina), di sostanze organiche disciolte (CDOM) e sospese (tirosina, triptofano) e di rilevare l'esistenza di inquinanti dispersi (oli grezzi o raffinati). Al momento i valori di Chl-a raccolti in situ sono stati semplicemente confrontati con i dati ottenuti dall'algoritmo MODIS OC3. Al fine di ottenere migliori risultati l'algoritmo verrà ricalibrato per l'area di studio utilizzando le misure di Chl-a che saranno raccolte durante il prossimo anno di attività di ricerca. The general objective of this research (financed by L.R. 7 of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia for the period May 2010 -May 2012) is to calibrate bio-optical algorithm for more accurate estimates of phytoplanktonic Chl-a in the Asinara Gulf (Northern Sardinia, Italy) using remote sensing data and in situ measurements. The "sea truth" values of Chl-a were obtained with the new laser spectrofluorometric apparatus CASPER (Compact and Advanced laser SPEctrometeR -Patent ENEA). CASPER permitted not only to quantify values of Chl-a but also to detect other algal pigments (phycoerythrin, phycocyanin), chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), proteins-like components (tyrosine, tryptophan), and qualitative data on the presence of hydrocarbons and oil pollution At the moment "sea truth" data of Chl-a were just compared to standard chlorophyll products of MODIS OC3 algorithm. In order to reach better results, the bio-optical algorithm is going to be recalibrated according to the measurements of CASPER during the next year, thus providing new estimates of phytoplanktonic Chl-a in the Asinara Gulf brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk
Thin film tin oxide chemical sensors created by laser CVD and PLD techniques
SPIE Proceedings, 2002
Tin oxide thin films based chemical sensors have been developed by means of laser induced chemica... more Tin oxide thin films based chemical sensors have been developed by means of laser induced chemical vapor deposition (L-CVD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) methods. The chemical composition of sensors was studied by XPS. By these two methods the tin oxide films were deposited at identical chemical chips and the sensitivity to hydrogen was measured and compared. An improvement of the sensitivity by using noble metal catalysts was observed. In addition, the possibility of detection Co, CH4, SO2, NO2 and N2O gasses on the films deposited by L-CVD technique and to alcohol vapor on the films deposed by PLD was studied.
<title>ENEA lidar fluorosensor mobile apparatus for oceanographic continous monitoring</title>
Third GR-I International Conference on New Laser Technologies and Applications, 2003
Surface chlorophyll-a concentrations and other biogeochemical parameters of seawater were measure... more Surface chlorophyll-a concentrations and other biogeochemical parameters of seawater were measured by using a mobile lidar apparatus in the Italy - New Zealand and New Zealand - Italy transects along the Mediterranean and Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Experiments were carried out during the oceanographic campaign by means of the ENEA lidar fluorosensor aboard the research vessel Italica (November
Proximal detection of energetic materials on fabrics by UV-Raman spectroscopy
SPIE Proceedings, 2014
ABSTRACT In the last decades there have been several terroristic attacks with improvised explosiv... more ABSTRACT In the last decades there have been several terroristic attacks with improvised explosive devices (IED) that have raised the need for new instrumentation, for homeland security applications, to obtain a reliable and effective fight against terrorism. Public transportation has been around for about 150 years, but terroristic attacks against buses, trains, subways, etc., is a relatively recent phenomenon [1]. Since 1970, transportation has been an increasingly attractive target for terrorists. Most of the attacks to transport infrastructures take place in countries where public transportation is the primary way to move. Terrorists prefer to execute a smaller-scale attack with certainty of success rather than a complex and demanding operation to cause massive death and destruction. [1]. Many commonly available materials, such as fertilizer, gunpowder, and hydrogen peroxide, can be used as explosives and other materials, such as nails, glass, or metal fragments, can be used to increase the amount of shrapnel propelled by the explosion. The majority of substances that are classified as chemical explosives generally contain oxygen, nitrogen and oxidable elements such as carbon and hydrogen [2]. The most common functional group in military explosives is NO2. That functionality can be attached to oxygen (ONO2) in the nitrate esters (PETN), to carbon (C-NO2) in the nitroarenes (TNT) and nitroalkanes (Nitromethane), and to nitrogen (N-NO2) as in the nitramines (RDX). Some organic peroxides, such as TATP and HMTD, are popular amongst terrorists because they are powerful initiators that can be easily prepared from easily available ingredients. Azides are also powerful primary explosives commonly used as initiators (commercial detonators) in civilian and military operations, therefore they could be potentially used by terrorists as initiators for IEDs.
Open Journal of Marine Science, 2014
Laser induced fluorescence technique for sea water monitoring allows no-time consuming, non-invas... more Laser induced fluorescence technique for sea water monitoring allows no-time consuming, non-invasive and non-destructive controls. In this study, the performance of the new shipboard laser spectrofluorometric CAS-PER (Compact and Advanced Laser Spectrometer-ENEA Patent) for monitoring phytoplankton community composition was examined. The prototype CASPER is based on double laser excitation of water samples in the UV (266 nm) and visible (405 nm) spectral region and a double water filtration in order to detect both quantitative data, such as chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), proteins-like components (tyrosine, tryptophan), algal pigments (chlorophylls a and b, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, different pigments of the carotenoid groups) and qualitative data on the presence of hydrocarbons and oil pollutants. Sea water samples from different depths have been collected and analyzed from August 2010 through November 2011 in the Gulf of Asinara (N-W Sardinia). Several sampling stations were selected as sites with different degree of pollution. The accuracy and the reliability of data obtained by CASPER have been evaluated comparing the results with other standard measurements such as: Chlorophyll a (Chl a) data obtained by spectrophotometric method and total phytoplankton abundance in terms of density and class composition. Spectral deconvolution technique was developed and integrated with CASPER system to assess and characterize a marker pigments and organic compounds in situ and in vivo. Field studies confirmed CASPER system capability to effectively discriminate characteristic spectra of fluorescent water constituents, contributing to decrease the time-consuming manual analysis of the water samples in the laboratory.
Thin Solid Films, 2004
Polycrystalline silicon films have been grown from Si H by low-pressure chemical vapour depositio... more Polycrystalline silicon films have been grown from Si H by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition at 800 K and in situ 2 6 laser annealing (LA) on amorphous silicon seed layers deposited on a metallic TiyPdyAg multilayer. The crystalline volume fraction in the seed layer was controlled by thermal annealing. According to the metal-induced crystallization effect, the presence of the metal induces a lower-temperature crystallization of silicon in the seed layers. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy data show that the formation of palladium silicides in the seed layer drives the growth of wire-like columns which are found to change morphology depending on the seed layer microstructure and LA parameters. It is suggested that superficial palladium was found to affect also the growth rate by enhancing the Si H dissociation.
Laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition of thick poly-Si layers for solar cells
Thin Solid Films, 2002
The growth of polycrystalline silicon on glass by laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition has be... more The growth of polycrystalline silicon on glass by laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition has been studied with the aim of identifying a light absorber layer for solar cells, with superior material quality compared to other technologies available for low-temperature substrates. One-dimensional calculations of the thermal wave produced by laser irradiation have been used to elucidate the complex interaction of the molten
In situ laser recrystallization of Si layers during low-pressure chemical vapor deposition: Recrystallization dynamics and influence of the seed layer
Journal of Materials Research, 2002
ABSTRACT The growth of polycrystalline silicon on glass by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition... more ABSTRACT The growth of polycrystalline silicon on glass by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and in situ laser induced recrystallization was investigated with the aim to study the influence of the seed layer and the mechanism of the recrystallization dynamics on the structural and morphological properties of the grown film. A seed layer was used to trigger the solidification process of many additional in situ laser-crystallized overlayers. One-dimensional calculations of the thermal flow produced by laser irradiation were used to clarify the complex interaction between the substrate and the molten silicon surface layer during nucleation and growth. The experiments show the relevant role played by the seed layer and the peculiar shaping of the film surface due to the preferential aggregation of molten silicon. Compact polysilicon films with thicknesses up to 4 μm with almost monocrystalline grains of 1–2-μm size were obtained.
Low-temperature laser-CVD thin film growth of SiC from Si2H6 and C2H2
Journal of Crystal Growth, 2003
SiC thin films have been synthesised by combining low pressure chemical vapour deposition from Si... more SiC thin films have been synthesised by combining low pressure chemical vapour deposition from Si2H6 and C2H2 at 520°C and in situ KrF-excimer laser annealing. Glancing incidence X-ray analysis showed the quantity of polycrystalline SiC in the laser-irradiated area depends on the mass-flow ratio of the precursor gases. In the region outside the laser spot where the films are amorphous,
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Papers by Ivano Menicucci