Time-reversal Signal Research Articles

High-resolution ultrasound imaging based on spatio-temporal MUSIC

Abstract Time-reversal MUltiple SIgnal Classification (TR-MUSIC) is known for its super-resolution capability in locating point scatterers. However, a prerequisite for the application of the TR-MUSIC method is a thorough understanding of the properties of the medium and its background Green’s function. In general, it is difficult to obtain an accurate model of the Green’s function in advance for non-uniform or complex media, necessitating the use of approximate Green’s functions. When TR-MUSIC relies on these approximations, the impact on lateral resolution may be minimal, but the axial resolution is significantly reduced. In addition, we have proposed the Range-MUSIC (R-MUSIC) method, which exploits the linear relationship between the rotation of the echo phases and the positions of the scatterers. This approach uses subbands of different frequencies, differentiating multiple point scatterers by the speed of phase rotation associated with each frequency. By analyzing the profile in the time domain of echoes within the noise subspace, R-MUSIC achieves super-resolution in the axial direction without improving lateral resolution. Therefore, our study combines R-MUSIC with TR-MUSIC to improve axial resolution while maintaining lateral resolution. Through simulation and experimental evidence, we have shown that this combined approach yields better imaging performance than either method used independently.

Measuring impulse response and nonlinear distortions using exponential frequency-modulated signals

Abstract Exponential Frequency-Modulated (EFM) signals, characterized by their exponentially changing instantaneous frequency, are valuable in radar, sonar, and communication systems. This paper explores the application of EFM signals for measuring impulse response and nonlinear distortions in electronic devices. The EFM signal testing method, which involves recording and analyzing the device's output in response to EFM signals, provides insights into amplitude-frequency, phase-frequency responses, and impulse response. The spectral density analysis reveals a 3 dB/octave decrease in high-frequency regions. An innovative measurement method is proposed, involving convolution with a time-reversed and amplitude-modulated EFM signal, simplifying traditional approaches. MATLAB simulations validate the method, highlighting its efficacy in comprehensive device performance assessment.

Analysis of Key Parameters of Spatial Power Combination of Sparse Array Time Reversal Signals

Based on the principle of spatial power combination of sparse array time reversed signals, the relationship of distances between constructive interference points to cross angle of beams and viewing angles has been analyzed. Then the formulas of distances between adjacent constructive points at 360-degree views are derived. Considering that the distance between constructive interference points around target is frequently needed to be less than target’s antenna size, The variation law of the view range with beam crossover angle has been simulated and analyzed with MATLAB when the above conditions are met at the same frequency and without errors. On this basis, array deployment recommendations are summed up. In addition, the effects of the received time window length and the difference of the distance between each array element and the target point on the synthesized power have been analyzed. Finally, the spatial power combination simulation experiments of the sparse array time-reversed signal have been carried out. The experimental results show that the methods and conclusions of this paper can provide theoretical basis and reference for the research and application of sparse array power combination technology in long-range wireless energy delivery, high-power microwave weapons, electronic warfare, etc.

A modified virtual time reversal method for enhancing monitoring sensitivity of bolt preloads based on ultrasonic guided waves

Bolted joints are prone to loosening due to inaccurate initial preloads and time-varying service conditions. Real-time monitoring of bolt preloads is therefore an important means to warrant the reliability and safety of a bolted structure, though it remains a daunting task to implement precise monitoring of early bolt loosening. A modified virtual time reversal (MVTR) method is developed in this study, aimed at enhanced sensitivity of bolt preload monitoring. To begin with, the frequency response function (FRF) of an intact bolted structure is ascertained using the excitation wave and the received wave signal through the bolt. Then a received wave signal captured from the bolted structure under monitoring is time-reversed, and a refocused signal is calculated in virtue of the time-reversed signal and the FRF in the intact state. Bolt tightness indices are established by the peak amplitude or energy of the refocused wave packet. To facilitate interpretation of the principle of the proposed MVTR, a semi-analytic model is developed, which combines the waveform superposition method and finite element method. With the model, the effects of interface contact length, wave mode and signal frequency on the tightness indices are investigated. The effectiveness of the proposed MVTR is experimentally verified using three representative bolted lap structures featuring single bolt or multiple bolts. The results confirm the findings from the semi-analytic model, demonstrating that the MVTR enhances monitoring sensitivity compared to prevailing approaches using linear or nonlinear guided wave features.

Tree Roots GPR Detection Based on 3-D Time-Reversal Signal Processing

Tree Roots GPR Detection Based on 3-D Time-Reversal Signal Processing

Time Reversal Detection for Moving Targets in Clutter Environments

Moving target detection plays a pivotal role in many applications, especially in radar systems. In addition, time-reversal (TR) technology can improve radar detection probability by effectively solving the problem of multipath signals. However, detection performance can be affected when clutter exists and target Doppler shifts are unknown. For this reason, we propose a novel moving target detection algorithm that leverages TR technology and a novel waveform optimization method in clutter and multipath signal environments. In this paper, we establish a TR signal model for a moving target in such environments and derive the TR average likelihood ratio test (TR-ALRT) detector. Additionally, we introduce a waveform optimization method that adapts to clutter and unknown Doppler information further to enhance the performance of the TR-ALRT detector. Consequently, a TR-ALRT waveform optimization (TR-ALRT-WO) detector is derived to adapt to the unknown Doppler and environment information, thereby improving the detection probability. Comparative analysis with other detectors under the same conditions validates the effectiveness of our proposed TR-ALRT-WO detector. Furthermore, numerical experiments demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed detection algorithm.

Acoustic characterization of the seabed with a single-element time-reversal mirror

Motivated by the 2012 Florida Straits Noise Interferometry Experiment, this paper investigates a time-reversal-based approach to acoustic remote sensing of the ocean. The signal processing mimics operation of a physical time-reversal mirror. The input data for the simulated time-reversal mirror can be obtained using either a compact, broadband sound source or cross-correlation of the diffuse noise recorded by spatially separated receivers. Low-frequency sound propagation is considered over ranges that are large compared to the water depth. The approach exploits the notion that the “best” focusing of the backpropagated time-reversed signal occurs at the “right point,” when the backpropagation takes place in the same propagation medium as the one, where the data have been acquired. Various metrics of the focusing quality are considered. A combination of spatial and temporal characteristics of the focus is proposed that leads to a robust and unique solution of the geoacoustic inverse problems considered for a single-element passive time-reversal mirror. Inputs with rather low signal-to-noise ratio prove acceptable, which is particularly important in the passive remote sensing context.

Replay Speech Detection Based on Dual-Input Hierarchical Fusion Network

Speech anti-spoofing is a crucial aspect of speaker recognition systems and has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Deep neural networks have achieved satisfactory results in datasets with similar training and testing data distributions, but their generalization ability is limited in datasets with different distributions. In this paper, we proposed a novel dual-input hierarchical fusion network (HFN) to improve the generalization ability of our model. The network had two inputs (the original speech signal and the time-reversed signal), which increased the volume and diversity of the training data. The hierarchical fusion model (HFM) enabled more thorough fusion of information from different input levels and improved model performance by fusing the two inputs after speech feature extraction. We finally evaluated the results using the ASVspoof 2021 PA (Physical Access) dataset, and the proposed system achieved an Equal Error Rate (EER) of 24.46% and a minimum tandem Detection Cost Function (min t-DCF) of 0.6708 in the test set. Compared with the four baseline systems in the ASVspoof 2021 competition, the proposed system min t-DCF values were decreased by 28.9%, 31.0%, 32.6%, and 32.9%, and the EERs were decreased by 35.7%, 38.1%, 45.4%, and 49.7%, respectively.

Adaptive time-reversal method for delamination detection of composite plates based on reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects

In this study, delamination in composite plates was detected by combining a baseline-free detection method based on a time-reversal method with a damage-imaging algorithm based on the reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects. A new adaptive time-reversal method (ATRM) for calculating the damage index values was proposed through the local adaptive analysis of the time-reversal signals of Lamb waves. The time-reversed signals were obtained by determining the maximum correlation between the forward path response and excitation signals. The forward path and time-reversal signals were intercepted using local optimal correlation coefficients to compensate for the peak offset errors that occurred during Lamb wave propagation. Multiple optimal adaptive decompositions were used to eliminate the interference of reflected waves in the forward path. The feasibility of the proposed method was verified numerically using finite element simulations, and was quantitatively compared with that of the conventional time-reversal method. Experimental studies using actual composite plates further validated the proposed method. The influence of the damage location on the performance of the proposed method was also investigated. The results show that the ATRM method significantly improved the temporal reversibility and obtained the optimal global similarity, making it more accurate and reliable for localising the delamination defects in composite plates compared with existing time reversal-based methods.

Designing spin and orbital sources of Berry curvature at oxide interfaces

Quantum materials can display physical phenomena rooted in the geometry of electronic wavefunctions. The corresponding geometric tensor is characterized by an emergent field known as the Berry curvature (BC). Large BCs typically arise when electronic states with different spin, orbital or sublattice quantum numbers hybridize at finite crystal momentum. In all the materials known to date, the BC is triggered by the hybridization of a single type of quantum number. Here we report the discovery of the first material system having both spin- and orbital-sourced BC: LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces grown along the [111] direction. We independently detect these two sources and probe the BC associated to the spin quantum number through the measurements of an anomalous planar Hall effect. The observation of a nonlinear Hall effect with time-reversal symmetry signals large orbital-mediated BC dipoles. The coexistence of different forms of BC enables the combination of spintronic and optoelectronic functionalities in a single material.

A time-reversal assisted probabilistic fusion strategy for damage localization in plate-like structures using Lamb waves

Precise damage identification and quantification is of great significance to ensure structural performance and provide early-warning for safety maintenance. In this research, a time-reversal assisted probabilistic strategy is developed to accurately localize damage via baseline-free manner in plate-like structures by fusing damage prediction data obtained from the elliptical trajectory location method (ETLM) and reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects (RAPID) algorithm. Damage features, including time difference for ETLM and correlation coefficient index (CCI) for RAPID algorithm, are extracted from the time-reversal focusing signal using the Hilbert transform (HT). To make full use of the damage-related information contained in the time-reversal focusing signals and improve the localizing accuracy, a decision-level data fusion based on Bayesian inference is proposed to fuse damage features and reconstruct damage information. A series of numerical and experimental studies, including different configurations of damage cases and transducer distributions, were conducted to investigate the performances of the proposed time-reversal assisted probabilistic method on damage localization. Results shows that the proposed method could successfully achieve accurate damage localization via baseline-free manner and significantly reduce the damage artifacts compared to traditional methods.

Step Frequency TR-MUSIC for Soft Fault Detection and Location in Coaxial Cable

Soft faults in cables may trigger short circuits and open circuits in time, in that, they ought to be detected and thus eliminated at an earliest possible stage, as to ensure safe and stable operation of the cables. A method called the time-reversal multiple signal classification (TR-MUSIC) had been proposed in the literature, which has been demonstrated to be an effective technique for locating soft faults in cables, owing to its high resolution and excellent noise robustness. However, traditional TR-MUSIC relies on a vector network analyzer for measuring the scattering matrix of cables, which adds cost and complexity to its implementation. In this regard, a new way of acquiring the desired scattering parameters is herein proposed. An arbitrary function generator is used to inject incident signals into the cable under test, and an oscilloscope is used to collect the reflected signals. After post-processing, the phase of scattering parameters can be obtained. There’s another key issue in the image of the detection results, ghost traces caused by the periodicity of Green’s function severely impact the vision saliency of the actual fault location, which limits the performance of the fault location. A step frequency variant of TR-MUSIC has been proposed, therefore, to mitigate ghost traces. Experimental results show that the fault location error of the proposed approach is smaller than 0.33% for a 51-m long coaxial cable. Moreover, in the case of introducing noise, the proposed approach can operate in situations with signal-to-noise ratios as low as –6 dB.

Application of time-reversal in electromagnetic power synthesis under distributed motion platform

Space-time adaptive focusing is the most prominent feature of time-reversal electromagnetic waves. This paper studies the spatial power synthesis technology of distributed motion platforms based on time-reversal electromagnetic waves. Firstly, the spatial power synthesis process based on time-reversal on a distributed fixed platform is modeled. Then, the time-reversal signal processing process of a distributed array on the motion platform is deduced, and the feasibility of realizing precise power focusing is verified in theory. Finally, the factors affecting the power synthesis effect in the target area are analyzed. The simulation results indicate that the spatial power synthesis on the distributed motion platform based on the time-reversal can effectively balance between power focusing effect and computational complexity. Also, the proposed method has better efficiency than the existing techniques, and it has strong practicability and feasibility.

Feasibility of photoacoustic-guided ultrasound treatment for port wine stains.

Port wine birthmark, also known as port wine stain (PWS) is a skin discoloration characterized by red/purple patches caused by vascular malformation. PWS is typically treated by using lasers to destroy abnormal blood vessels. The laser heating facilitates selective photothermolysis of the vessels and attenuates quickly in the tissue due to high optical scattering. Therefore, residual abnormal capillaries deep in the tissue survive and often lead to the resurgence of PWS. Ultrasound (US) has also been proposed to treat PWS, however, it is nonselective with respect to the vasculature but penetrates deeper into the tissue. We aim to study the feasibility of a hybrid PWS treatment modality combining the advantages of both modalities. In this manuscript, we propose a photoacoustic (PA) guided US focusing methodology for PWS treatment which combines the optical contrast-based selectivity with US penetration to focus the US energy onto the vasculature. The PA signals collected by the transducers, when time-reversed, amplified, and transmitted, converge onto the PWS, thus minimally affecting the neighboring tissue. We performed two- and three-dimensional simulations that mimic realistic transducers and medium properties in this proof of concept study. The time-reversed PA signals when transmitted from the transducers converged onto the vasculature, as expected, thus reducing the heating of the neighboring tissue. We observed that while the US focus is indeed affected due to experimental factors such as limited-view, large detector separation and finite detection bandwidth, and so forth, the US did focus completely or partially onto the vasculature demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed methodology. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed methodology for PWS treatment. This treatment method can destroy the deeper capillaries while minimally heating the neighboring tissue, thus reducing the chances of the resurgence of PWS and as well as cosmetic scarring.

A Microwave Tomography System Using Time-Reversal Imaging for Forestry Applications

A healthy urban forest is important to improve both human health and overall environmental quality. There is currently a lack in technology that has the ability to evaluate living trees in their natural environment without invasive destructive sampling. This work presents a cost-effective, real-time microwave tomography system for practical forestry applications. The scattering measurement system is designed using wide band microstrip monopole antennas (1--5 GHz) and coupled to a switching matrix and a controlling software for automated real-time data collection. A time reversal signal processing algorithm is developed for performing imaging, based on the measurements. The imaging system is initially validated by imaging simple cylindrical targets and finally utilized for imaging defects in different tree trunk samples. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate the practicality, novelty and benefits of this approach for forestry imaging applications.

Nonlinear characteristics of high amplitude focusing using time reversal in a reverberation chamber.

Time reversal (TR) signal processing is an effective tool to exploit a reverberant environment for the intentional focusing of airborne, audible sound. A previous room acoustics TR study found preliminary evidence that above a certain focal amplitude the focal waveform begins to display signs of nonlinearity [Willardson, Anderson, Young, Denison, and Patchett, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143(2), 696-705 (2018)]. This study investigates that nonlinearity further by increasing the focal peak amplitudes beyond that previously observed. This increases the nonlinear characteristics, allowing for a closer inspection of their properties. An experiment is conducted using eight horn loudspeaker sources and a single receiver in a reverberation chamber. A maximum peak focal amplitude of 214.8 kPa (200.6 dBpk) is achieved. The focus signal waveforms are linearly scaled to observe and characterize the nonlinear amplification of the waveform. Frequency spectra of the peak focal amplitudes are plotted to observe changes in frequency content as the signals become nonlinear. A one-dimensional spatial scan of the focal region is conducted to observe properties of the converging and diverging waves. A proposal for a possible explanation involving free-space Mach stem formation is given.

Underwater Sound Source Localization Based on Passive Time-Reversal Mirror and Ray Theory.

This study investigates the performance of a passive time-reversal mirror (TRM) combined with acoustic ray theory in localizing underwater sound sources with high frequencies (3–7 kHz). The TRM was installed on a floating buoy and comprised four hydrophones. The ray-tracing code BELLHOP was used to determine the transfer function between a sound source and a field point. The transfer function in the frequency domain obtained from BELLHOP was transformed into the time domain. The pressure field was then obtained by taking the convolution of the transfer function in the time domain with the time-reversed signals that were received by the hydrophones in the TRM. The location with the maximum pressure value was designated as the location of the source. The performance of the proposed methodology for source localization was tested in a towing tank and in the ocean. The aforementioned tests revealed that even when the distances between a source and the TRM were up to 1600 m, the distance deviations between estimated and actual source locations were mostly less than 2 m. Errors originated mainly from inaccurate depth estimation, and the literature indicates that they can be reduced by increasing the number of TRM elements and their apertures.

FEM-based time-reversal enhanced ultrasonic cleaning

Pipe fouling is a challenging problem in many industrial applications. Current cleaning techniques require halting the production during the cleaning phase and the existing methods are unable to do targeted cleaning, even though fouling is often localized to certain areas inside the pipeline. To address this issue, we use FEM-simulated, time-reversed signals to focus ultrasound power onto a pre-determined location: a fouled pipe residing inside a Plexiglas container. Ultrasound cleaning with similar acoustic power was compared to the time-reversal enhanced method in terms of cleaning efficiency. The cleaning efficiency was determined by measuring how much fouling, by mass, both protocols removed from the surface of a Plexiglas pipe, using similar input electric power and equal cleaning time. Our results indicate that the proposed time-reversal-based technique removes three times more fouling than the standard ultrasound cleaning without focusing. The study extends our previous paper on FEM-based time-reversal focusing [1].

Moving Target Detection Based on Time Reversal in a Multipath Environment

Time reversal can resolve multipath problems and increase the detection probability, but the detection performance decreases when the target is moving. Because of the change in the channel response due to target motion, the focusing effect of a time-reversal-transmitted signal is reduced. In this article, a novel method based on time reversal, which detects a moving target embedded in a multipath environment with channel variation, is proposed. We establish conventional and time-reversal signal models of a moving target in an indoor diffuse multipath environment and derive likelihood ratio tests under these two conditions. The channel parameters and the changes due to target motion are obtained by echo estimation and are exploited as useful information by the detectors. The channel changes are taken into account in the time-reversal detector to improve its robustness. The time-reversal detector proposed in this article possesses the constant-false-alarm-rate property with respect to the unknown background noise. Although Monte Carlo simulation analysis has illustrated the superior performance of both conventional and time-reversal detectors and proved that both methods can improve the detection probability by exploiting the multipath effect, the time-reversal method outperforms the conventional method due to the spatial and temporal focusing effect on the channel.

Passive time-reversal mirror for acoustic characterization of the seabed

This paper investigates application of a signal processing technique, which is motivated by time reversal, to geoacoustic inversions in a shallow-water waveguide. The signal processing mimics operation of a physical time-reversal mirror. The input data for the simulated time-reversal mirror can be obtained using either a compact, broadband sound source or cross-correlation of the diffuse noise recorded by spatially separated receivers. Low-frequency sound propagation is considered over ranges that are large compared to the water depth. The approach exploits the notion that the “best” focusing of the backpropagated time-reversed signal occurs at the “right point,” when the backpropagation takes place in the same propagation medium as the one, where the data have been acquired. Various metrics of the focusing quality are considered. A combination of spatial and temporal characteristics of the focus is proposed that leads to a unique solution of the geoacoustic inverse problem for a single-element passive time-reversal mirror. [Work supported by NSF.]