Abstract: Detection techniques on explosives play a vital role in security prediction and warning. Principles of physics have very important applications in the field of security detection techniques. The physical principles on several techniques used commonly or latest including X-ray detection technology, terahertz spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and ion mobility spectrometry etc. have been introduced. And physics is expected to make new contributions in the detection techniques.

Key words: explosives, security detection techniques, physics principles