Passive Imaging Millimeter Wave Polarimeter System

Being able to use polarization effects while gathering imagery can mean the difference between discerning important objects and features in a scene or not. The objective of this program is to build a high utility real-time imaging system that can take passive, millimeter wave images in all four Stokes parameters, separately and simultaneously. A compact, lightweight and battery operated, millimeter wave imaging system is being developed independently. The key to this system is a staring sensor array of antenna coupled microbolometers fabricated as an integral unit. Different antenna array layouts may be used without having to change the rest of the structure. For this program, the antenna layout will represent independent Stokes vectors whose output will be digitally processed after detection. Two millimeter wave frequency bands will be considered: 75-125 GHz, and 210-350 GHz. A special, anamorphic image stabilization and object tracking software will be used to enhance the system sensitivity. Gains of a factor of ten over the basic bolometers are possible without compromising frame rate. The imaging system that houses the array is dual mode, capable of taking registered images in the infrared or visible as well as millimeter wave.