Transmit Pattern Analysis for Active Incoherent Microwave Imaging

A microwave imaging technique that enables fast image reconstruction without heamforming using low cost receivers has recently been demonstrated by the authors. Using multiple noise transmitters separated by a large number of wavelengths, an incoherent radiation pattern illuminates the scene mimicking the properties of thermal radiation. The receive array takes advantage of the spatial incoherence of the reflections, producing two-dimensional imagery of the scene. In this paper a study to quantify the incoherence of the transmit radiation pattern is presented using the average mutual coherence metric.