Erio Gandini

Toward a real time stand-off submillimeter-wave imaging system with large field of view: quasi-optical system design considerations

In the frame-work of the European project CONSORTIS, a stand-off system for concealed object detections working at submillimeter-wave frequencies is being developed. The system is required to perform real-time image acquisition over a large field of view at a short range using both an active and a passive sensor operating in the frequency range from 250 to 600 GHz. In this contribution, the main trade-offs associated with the quasi-optical system design are presented. The imaging distance is from 2 m to 5 m range with a spatial resolution lower than 2 cm. Focal plane arrays will be used to achieve high imaging frame rates. Two configurations are considered in CONSORTIS: a sparse array of active transceivers and incoherent passive staring array with a large number of elements. Both cases use mechanical scanning to achieve the required field of view. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the different trade-offs driving the quasi-optical design: from the mechanical scanner considerations to the optical beam quality required over the whole field of view. This analysis starts from the fundamental limitations of the quasi-optical mechanical systems. The limitations of the optics are discussed considering a canonical elliptical reflector as a reference. After this fundamental analysis, we compare the performances of several practical standard implementations, based on dual-reflectors and lenses, with canonical geometries. It is shown that, at short ranges, the main limitation of the optical system is the poor beam quality associated with the wide angular field of view and none of the standard implementation fulfills the requirements. In the last section, a technique to overcome this limitation is investigated. In particular, the use of optics with oversized reflectors can significantly improve the performance over a larger field of view if the coma aberrations are limited by a good angular filter.

High resolution, wide field of view, real time 340GHz 3D imaging radar for security screening

The EU FP7 project CONSORTIS (Concealed Object Stand-Off Real-Time Imaging for Security) is developing a demonstrator system for next generation airport security screening which will combine passive and active submillimeter wave imaging sensors. We report on the development of the 340 GHz 3D imaging radar which achieves high volumetric resolution over a wide field of view with high dynamic range and a high frame rate. A sparse array of 16 radar transceivers is coupled with high speed mechanical beam scanning to achieve a field of view of ~ 1 x 1 x 1 m3 and a 10 Hz frame rate.

Near-field imaging system fed by lens antenna focal plane array at sub-millimeter frequency

A Dragonian offset dual-reflector system for near-field imaging at 220 GHz is presented in this contribution. The main reflector is an ellipsoid surface to focalize the field in the Fresnel zone. The field is focused in a point placed 4 m away from the main reflector center. In order to cover the field of view of the imaging system, two feeding techniques are proposed: i) an array of small, directive, extended hemispherical lenses (flys eye); ii) a single large hyperhemispherical lens fed by several sources. The scanning performance of the two solutions is investigated and will be shown during the conference.

A high frame rate, 340 GHz 3D imaging radar for security

The need for improved security at airports with high detection performance, high throughput rates and an improved passenger experience is motivating research into new sensing technologies. The European Union funded CONSORTIS project is addressing these aims by demonstrating a system which combines a submillimeter wave radar, a dual-band passive submillimeter wave camera and automatic anomaly detection software for reliable detection while ensuring passenger privacy. In this paper we describe the 340 GHz 16-channel FMCW radar which produces 3D maps of the subject with ∼1 cm3 voxel resolution over a 1 m3 sense volume at multi-hertz frame rates. The radar combines advanced transceiver electronics with high speed mechanical beam steering and parallelized processing to achieve this level of performance.

The CONSORTIS 16-channel 340 GHz security imaging radar

We have completed a 16-channel 340 GHz 3D imaging radar for next-generation airport security screening under the European Union funded CONSORTIS (Concealed Object Stand-Off Real-Time Imaging for Security) project. The radar maps a 1 x 1 x 1 m3 sense volume with ~1 cm3 voxel resolution at multi-hertz frame rates. The radar has been installed in the CONSORTIS system enclosure and integrated with a passenger control system and command module. The full system will ultimately also incorporate a dual-band passive submillimeter wave imager and automatic anomaly detection software for reliable, ethical detection of concealed objects. A large data collection trial on targets of interest has been conducted to support the development of automatic anomaly detection software. Initial threat detection analysis indicates promising results against aviation-relevant objects including simulant dielectric threat materials.

Dual-band submillimeter-wave kinetic inductance bolometers and an imaging system for contraband object detection

Kinetic inductance bolometer (KIB) technology is a candidate for scalable submillimeter wave imaging systems, particularly suitable for person security screening applications. We have previously shown that the basic figures of merit are compatible with room-temperature radiometric imaging applications, and demonstrated the functionality of kilo-pixel detector arrays. In this article, we report on our imaging system based on 8208 KIBs organized on a 2D focal plane. We provide an overview on the basic components, including the detectors, optics, and cryogenics, and describe aspects relevant in system integration. Moreover, we demonstrate the capacity in actual concealed object detection by presenting datasets revealing metallic and dielectric objects hidden under the clothes of a test person.

Wide Field of View Inversely Magnified Dual-Lens for Near-Field Submillimeter Wavelength Imagers

A wide field of view (FOV) inversely magnified dual-lens system for submillimeter wavelength imagers is presented in this paper. The antenna is designed for near-field focusing, at a range of 2.1 m from the primary aperture and to work in the frequency range from 200 to 600 GHz. The half-power beamwidth (HPBW) is 0.27° (1 cm in the image plane) at 500 GHz, corresponding to a focused antenna directivity of approximately 55 dBi. The FOV is as large as ±25.4° (±1 m at the nominal range), corresponding to a scan range of ±100 HPBWs. The shapes of the lens surfaces are optimized to minimize the phase aberration loss over the entire scanning range. Moreover, the lenses are designed to be as thin as possible to limit the dielectric absorption loss. The directivity reduction of the edge pattern with respect to broadside is approximately 1 dB with efficiency of 56%, making this lens an excellent candidate for imaging applications. The dual-lens system can be refocused by displacing the secondary lens and shows an essentially unchanged angular HPBW over a refocusing range of ±50% with respect to the nominal imaging distance. A demonstrator was fabricated and the experimental results at 500 GHz confirm the predicted performance.

Sub-wavelength frequency selective surface design for improved antenna array out-of-band rejection

In this work, the problem of enhancing the frequency selectivity property of an antenna array has been studied. A solution based on a multi-layer frequency selective surface (FSS), composed of sub wavelength elements is proposed. An equivalent circuit model is used for the design, under the assumption that the inter-layer interaction is dominated by a single Floquet mode. This approximation remains valid by keeping the unit-cell size comparable to the inter-layer distance. Results for generic oblique incidence are presented. Fast roll-off is achieved by using a 3 pole Chebyshev filter design. Moreover, the FSS is used in combination with a connected slot array antenna. The resulting structure allows to scan up to 45° in both principal planes with a relative bandwidth (S11< −10 dB) of 15% around the central frequency f0 = 4.8 GHz. Higher order harmonics are rejected up to 18 GHz.