Improvement of dynamic range for arbitrary radar systems using antenna polarization modulation

The evaluation of radar scenes with high dynamic range is a challenge for radar systems. In frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) based systems, dynamic range can be improved by applying a high-pass filter after down conversion. If a different modulation scheme (such as OFDM) is used, the maximum achieveable dynamic range of the system is limited. In this paper antenna polarization modulation (APM) is introduced to eliminate this weakness. It can be applied in addition to an arbitrary radar modulation while no extra Tx or Rx paths are required. The system can be used to either improve dynamic range, evaluate polarimetric targets or refine the detectable radar scene.