Dual-Polarized Substrate Integrated Waveguide Antenna with High Isolation for Polarimetric Radar

Polarimetric radar systems use dual-polarized antennas to send and receive orthogonally polarized signals, and this can enable detection of target characteristics. This not only enhances the reliability of the radar, but improves the ability to differentiate objects, like vehicles, humans, and stationary items, in particular, by analyzing the polarization responses. In the context of a millimeter-wave frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system, a novel dual-polarized antenna concept which is suitable for both single-input single-output (SISO) and single-input multiple-output (SIMO) setups is demonstrated. This 24 GHz designed antenna, which is a single-layer structure using substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology, consists of a network of two-dimensional sub-arrays arranged in a cross-shaped configuration and the design is extended to an array for angular target tracking. Moreover, the measured FMCW radar system successfully estimated the target parameters, including range and angular position.