Highly accurate fully-polarimetric radar cross section facility for mono- and bistatic measurements at W-band frequencies

Abstract

Research in mm-wave has gained momentum in recent years and is requiring new laboratories and experimental methods. In this paper, a new mono- and bistatic radar cross section (RCS) facility operating at W-band frequencies is detailed. The mechanical system is capable of full target rotation and a large variation of the bistatic angle (25°-335°). It features exceptional precise alignment capabilities and a high positioning accuracy of <0.1°, which has been cross-checked by a double slit experiment. The fully-polarimetric mm-wave system consists of a static transceiver and a specially developed receiving unit that rotates around the target at a distance of 1 m. A polarimetric calibration is adapted to this facility, relying on canonical targets complemented by a novel highly cross-polarizing wire mesh fabricated in screen printing. This novel facility is studied in detail along with exemplary measurements such as the permittivity determination of a thin polyester film through Brewster angle determination. All calibrated measurements are in good agreement with numerical and analytical simulation.