Fast high-resolution terahertz radar imaging at 25 meters

Ken B. Cooper; Robert J. Dengler; Nuria Llombart; Ashit Talukder; Anand V. Panangadan; Chris S. Peay; Imran Mehdi; Peter H. Siegel

doi:10.1117/12.850395

26 April 2010 Fast high-resolution terahertz radar imaging at 25 meters

Ken B. Cooper, Robert J. Dengler, Nuria Llombart, Ashit Talukder, Anand V. Panangadan, Chris S. Peay, Imran Mehdi, Peter H. Siegel

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7671, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems IV: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense; 76710Y (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.850395
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2010, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

We report improvements in the scanning speed and standoff range of an ultra-wide bandwidth terahertz (THz) imaging radar for person-borne concealed object detection. Fast beam scanning of the single-transceiver radar is accomplished by rapidly deflecting a flat, light-weight subreflector in a confocal Gregorian optical geometry. With RF back-end improvements also implemented, the radar imaging rate has increased by a factor of about 30 compared to that achieved previously in a 4 m standoff prototype instrument. In addition, a new 100 cm diameter ellipsoidal aluminum reflector yields beam spot diameters of approximately 1 cm over a 50×50 cm field of view at a range of 25 m, although some aberrations are observed that probably arise from misaligned optics. Through-clothes images of concealed pipes at 25 m range, acquired in 5 seconds, are presented, and the impact of reduced signal-to-noise from an even faster frame rate is analyzed. These results inform the requirements for eventually achieving sub-second or video-rate THz radar imaging.

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Ken B. Cooper, Robert J. Dengler, Nuria Llombart, Ashit Talukder, Anand V. Panangadan, Chris S. Peay, Imran Mehdi, and Peter H. Siegel "Fast high-resolution terahertz radar imaging at 25 meters", Proc. SPIE 7671, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems IV: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense, 76710Y (26 April 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.850395

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