Target Detection With Impulse Radiating Antenna

A prolate spheroidal reflector antenna focuses subnanosecond pulsed radiation in the near field with a small beamwidth, allowing for applications such as target detection. Confocal imaging in free space has been demonstrated with such an antenna for both transmitting and receiving. A polarized beam allows for the detection of linear target orientation. We show that decreasing the focal spot size by adding a dielectric lens enables us to resolve a target with a typical dimension of 4 cm. The spatial resolution can be further enhanced by increasing the dielectric constant of the lens' innermost layer.