Realization of Low Cross-Polarization Level for GF-3 SAR Antenna

Abstract

In the polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) system, crosstalk error is the key parameter for polarimetric imaging. The source of crosstalk is mostly from the cross-polarization level of the SAR antenna subsystem. To meet the requirements of PolSAR observing modes, a low cross-polarization level under −35 dB is realized for the SAR antenna of the GF-3 satellite. In this paper, we will describe the principles and methods for implementation of low cross-polarization level. The two polarized RF chains are totally independent to ensure high isolation, and a dual-polarized waveguide slot antenna subarray is designed with a low cross-polarization level. Besides, the low taper efficiency of the cross-polarization pattern contributes to reduce the cross-polarization, showing the advantage of the phased array antenna in the PolSAR system. The paper also displays the measured results of cross-polarization for the GF-3 SAR antenna. The study gains a better understanding of the cross-polarization pattern for phased array antenna. The methods utilized here can be extended to other polarimetric SAR systems.