Antenna Array Detection in Highly Cluttered Environment Using Time Reversal Method

Abstract

This paper concerns a method of target detection in a cluttered environment where a significantly large number of highly reflective scattering objects exists. With the conventional Radar detection, the detection of a target additional to this highly scattering environment would suffer greatly in their detection dynamic range. In this paper, we present a novel time reversal method that enables automatic destructive interference of the field-probing electromagnetic wave on the reflective scatters of the environment such that the cluttered environment becomes virtually transparent. The experiment in lab tree-scattering environment demonstrates that this time reversal clutter-nulling scheme substantially enhances the detection dynamic range and the signal-to-noise ratio, significantly raising target detectability.