Orientation Independent Microwave Imaging

Missouri S&T researchers have developed a novel microwave imaging technique using a radially polarized probe. The microwave and millimeter wave imaging method proposed here utilizes a radially polarized probe to image samples in order to detect targets independent of their orientation relative to the probe. Since orientation of targets or flaws is often unknown prior to imaging or near-field detection, it is desired to have probes that can detect these flaws independent of relative orientation of target and probe. The proposed method involves scanning the radially polarized probe in a 2D raster grid. When a large standoff distance is used (far-field), the collected data may be processed through a synthetic aperture focusing algorithm to create an image. The radially polarized probe imaging method can also be used for near-field imaging while still being independent of target orientation. When the radially polarized probe is used in the near-field, the diversity of detected target polarizations increases beyond that of the target polarizations detected by linear or dual-polarized probes.

Applications

• Detecting crack defects in metal

State of Development

• Disclosure submitted March of 2019
• Imaging experiments were conducted using a 3D printed radially polarized probe

Additional Details