Passive Millimeter Wave Imaging Using a Distributed Aperture and Optical Upconversion

We report on our initial results of passive, real-time imaging in the Q-band using a distributed aperture and optical upconversion. The basis of operation is collection of incident mmW radiation by the distributed aperture, as embodied by an array of horn antennas, which is then amplified and upconverted to optical frequencies using commercially available electro-optic modulators. The non-linear mixing of the modulators creates sidebands containing the mmW signal with both amplitude and phase preserved. These signals are relaunched in the optical domain with a homothetic mapping of the antenna array. The optical carrier is stripped via dielectric stack filters and imagery is synthesized from the sidebands using the Fourier transform properties of a simple lens. This imagery is collected using a standard near-infrared camera with post-processing to enhance the signal of interest and reduce noise. Details of operation and presentation of sample imagery is presented herein.