Optical Performance Analysis Using a Point Spread Function and Modulation Transfer Function for W-Band PMMW Imaging System Based on Quasi Optics Focused Array of Dielectric Rod Waveguide Antenna

Abstract

Abstract-The appropriateness of dielectric loaded antenna for the passive millimeter wave imaging application has recently been demonstrated. In this paper, we analyze the optical performance of the passive millimeter wave (PMMW) imaging system based on a 1D focal plane array (FPA) of dielectric rod waveguide (DRW) antennas. A first step in the design process is to analyze the image quality potential of 1D FPA-based imaging system in terms of the point spread function (PSF) and the modulation transfer function (MTF). We consider the effect of lens, DRW antenna, electromagnetic crosstalk between adjacent DRW antenna elements in the array, and sampling. From simulation and measurement, we found that the image quality in the passive millimeter wave imaging system with a DRW antenna array is less sensitive to electromagnetic crosstalk between antenna elements in the array. The measurements and simulations show that the system is diffraction limited and also closely agrees with the Rayleigh criterion of resolution for diffraction limited optical systems.

Design and Beam Quality Analysis of Reflective Telescopes through Diffraction Effects and Third Order Aberrations

“…The values of 64.5 cycles/mm & 63.8 cycles/mm maximum sampling frequencies are obtained for Houghton and Schmidt respectively. And it signifies that this variation can affect much a system's imaging capabilities [12] in Schmidt cassgrains than in Houghton designs.…”