Full-Polarization Target Classification Using Single-Polarization Ground Penetrating Radars

This article presents the underlying theory, simulation demonstrations, and measurement examples of a novel method of obtaining full-polarization (FP) subsurface target scattering data using only common single-polarization (SP) ground-penetrating radars (GPRs) so that advanced polarimetric signal processing and target detection/classification techniques can still be applied when FP GPR systems are not available. This method combines SP data collected from at least three arbitrary antenna orientations over the target to produce FP scattering matrix, and thus enabling subsurface target classification via polarimetric scattering features. The errors of the proposed SP-derived FP scattering matrix components due to the presence of cross-polarization component in practical SP antennas and random noise are analyzed. Simulation and measurement examples are also given to demonstrate the application of the proposed SP-to-FP method in GPR target classification.