Asymmetric micro-Doppler frequency comb generation via magnetoelectric coupling

Abstract

Electromagnetic scattering from moving bodies, being inherently time-dependent phenomenon, gives rise to a generation of new frequencies, which could characterize the motion. While a standard linear path leads to a constant Doppler shift, accelerating scatterers could generate a micro-Doppler frequency comb. Here, a spectra produced by rotating objects, was studied and observed in a bi-static lock in detection scheme. Internal geometry of a scatterer was shown to determine the spectra, while the degree of structural asymmetry was suggested to be identified via signatures in the micro-Doppler comb. In particular, hybrid magneto-electric particles, showing an ultimate degree of asymmetry in forward and backward scattering directions were investigated. It was shown that the comb in the backward direction has signatures at the fundamental rotation frequency and its odd harmonics, while in the forward scattered field has the prevailing peak at the doubled frequency and its multiples. Additional features in the comb were shown to be affected by the dimensions of the particle and strength of magneto-electric coupling. Experimental verification was performed with a printed circuit board antenna, based on a wire and a split ring, while the structure was illuminated with at 2GHz carrier frequency. Detailed analysis of micro-Doppler combs enables remote detection of asymmetric features of distant objects and could find use in a span of applications, including stellar radiometry and radio identification.