Frequency-diverse microwave imaging using planar Mills-Cross cavity apertures.

We demonstrate a frequency diverse, multistatic microwave imaging system based on a set of transmit and receive, radiating, planar cavity apertures. The cavities consist of double-sided, copper-clad circuit boards, with a series of circular radiating irises patterned into the upper conducting plate. The iris arrangement is such that for any given transmitting and receiving aperture pair, a Mills-Cross pattern is formed from the overlapped patterns. The Mills-Cross distribution provides optimum coverage of the imaging scene in the spatial Fourier domain (k-space). The Mills-Cross configuration of the apertures produces measurement modes that are diverse and consistent with the computational imaging approach used for frequency-diverse apertures, yet significantly minimizes the redundancy of information received from the scene. We present a detailed analysis of the Mills-Cross aperture design, with numerical simulations that predict the performance of the apertures as part of an imaging system. Images reconstructed using fabricated apertures are presented, confirming the anticipated performance.