Stochastic Electromagnetics for Active Sensing
Abstract
Stochastic Electromagnetics for Active SensingApproved for Public ReleaseThe interaction of coherent optical radiation with most man-made materials gives rise to random electromagnetic fields (speckles). We propose a research program that will develop the essential knowledge and the technology necessary for solving a basic issue concerning the remote sensing: the information retrieval from random electromagnetic fields. The complex characteristics of electromagnetic fields including intensity, phase distribution, state of coherence and polarization carry information about the morphological properties of their sources and the conditions in which they propagate. Preliminary research indicates that considerable knowledge about scattering processes can be gained by examining the higher-order statistical properties of the resulting random fields. This is to be expected because, in practical applications, typical scattering processes have finite temporal and/or spatial scales. We will elaborate modalities to measure and quantify the stochastic properties of electromagnetic fields, including the use of higher-order field correlations, which would provide unprecedented capabilities for target detection and identification. We will explore novel approaches for electromagnetic field measurements based on stochastic sampling to recover information not available in conventional averages.Similar principles will also be exploited to design a new class of sensing systems with unique operational characteristics. Based on the properties of fluctuations resulting from random interactions of light with matter, we will design procedures that will alleviate typical spatiotemporal limitations of conventional sensing techniques. We will develop a conceptually new active imaging system that uses spatial heterodyning to mitigate wave distortions due to obscuring backgrounds. The proposed system will also exploit the polarization properties of electromagnetic fields for both image enhancement and target discrimination. This undertaking will require a more complete phenomenology of light-target interaction that goes beyond simply the ~reflectivity~ and will account for the polarization and the coherence properties of the electromagnetic fields. The proposed effort includes tasks regarding fundamental phenomenology and concept development as well as system design and experimentation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 10, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812262
Entities
People
- Aristide Dogariu
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Central Florida Board of Trustees