Design of Vortex Forward-Looking SAR Imaging using OAM Beam Modulation

Authors

  • Gaolong Cheng College of Optoelectronic Information and Computer Engineering University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
  • Ping Li College of Optoelectronic Information and Computer Engineering University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/2025.ACES.J.400505

Keywords:

Forward-looking SAR imaging, orbital angular momentum (OAM), two-dimensional imaging

Abstract

Forward-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems often suffer from low resolution and blurred imaging in the azimuthal direction due to the limited variation in Doppler frequency. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel forward-looking SAR imaging technique leveraging vortex electromagnetic waves and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modulation. The core innovation lies in introducing a new azimuthal Doppler frequency component by establishing a linear relationship between the OAM mode number and slow-time, significantly enhancing azimuthal resolution. The method employs a transceiver system comprising a uniform circular array for transmission, with a single antenna at the center of the array for reception. Additionally, the traditional Range-Doppler (RD) algorithm is optimized to suppress motion-induced azimuthal Doppler interference and isolate mode-induced Doppler effects. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively expands the azimuthal Doppler bandwidth, resolving left-right target ambiguity and substantially improving azimuthal imaging quality in forward-looking SAR systems.

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Author Biographies

Gaolong Cheng, College of Optoelectronic Information and Computer Engineering University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China

Gaolong Cheng received the BEng degree in electronic from Wenzheng College of Soochow University, Jiangsu, China, in 2022, and is now pursuing his MEng in electronic information at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. His research interests include synthetic aperture radar imaging as well as vortex radar imaging.

Ping Li, College of Optoelectronic Information and Computer Engineering University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China

Ping Li received the master’s degree in electromagnetic field and microwave technology and the Ph.D. degree in circuits and systems from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian, China, in 2006. She is currently a Researcher with the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. Her research interests include millimeter-wave and terahertz technology, especially the terahertz imaging systems.

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Published

2025-05-30

How to Cite

[1]
G. . Cheng and P. . Li, “Design of Vortex Forward-Looking SAR Imaging using OAM Beam Modulation”, ACES Journal, vol. 40, no. 05, pp. 419–427, May 2025.

Issue

2025: Vol 40 Iss 5

Section

General Submission

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