Electronically-Actuated Coded Aperture Arrays for Millimeter and Submillimeter-Wave Imaging

这项研究的目的是研究和展示一种基于波前处理和多路复用的毫米波和亚毫米波成像的全新方法。该方法是利用最先进的毫米波/亚毫米波固态器件来实现电子控制的波前调制器，并结合应用校准/误差校正技术来消除与成像系统相关的系统误差。这项工作的学术价值在于它有可能从根本上改变基于焦平面阵列的毫米/亚毫米波成像的传统方法。这项研究直接解决了阻碍实现大型毫米波成像阵列的核心困难，即处理来自密集接收器阵列的大量输出的问题。此外，拟议的电子控制编码掩模将打开大量新的波前处理技术和系统架构，用于研究和应用于毫米波成像，这些技术到目前为止还不实用，但可以显著提高系统性能。这项研究的更广泛影响包括显著改进直接依赖毫米波成像的科学领域(光谱学、天文学，以及最近的医学)的仪器。此外，改进的毫米波成像的社会效益包括公共安全(例如，货物的筛查/监测)和质量保证(例如，制造和过程控制)，以及医疗诊断。将强调毫米波成像作为与公共安全问题有关的基本研究课题的作用，将面向服务/外展的本科论文项目(例如，扫描密封包装中的食品/药品)纳入课程，这一方法在促进多样性和吸引不同学科的学生方面取得了成功。

The objective of this research is to investigate and demonstrate a fundamentally new approach to millimeter and submillimeter-wave imaging based on wavefront processing and multiplexing. The approach is to exploit state-of-the-art millimeter/submillimeter-wave solid-state devices to realize electronically-controlled wavefront modulators and, in conjunction, apply calibration/error-correction techniques to remove systematic errors associated with imaging systems. The intellectual merit of this work lies in its potential to fundamentally transform the conventional approach to millimeter/submillimeter-wave imaging based on focal plane arrays. This research directly addresses the central difficulty impeding the realization of large millimeter-wave imaging arrays, the problem of processing a large number of outputs from a dense array of receivers. In addition, the proposed electronically-controlled coded masks will open a vast array of new wavefront processing techniques and system architectures for research and application to millimeter-wave imaging, techniques that have so far been impractical, but can dramatically improve system performance.The broader impacts of this research include significantly improved instrumentation for scientific fields that directly rely upon millimeter-wave imaging (spectroscopy, astronomy, and, recently, medicine). Moreover, the societal benefits of improved millimeter-wave imaging encompass public security (e.g., screening/monitoring of cargo) and quality assurance (e.g., manufacturing and process control), as well as medical diagnostics. The role of millimeter-wave imaging as a fundamental research topic relevant to public safety issues will be emphasized to introduce service/outreach-oriented undergraduate thesis projects (for example, scanning foods/medicines in sealed packages) into the curriculum, an approach that has shown success in promoting diversity and attracting students from different disciplines.