Influence of surface roughness on polarization property in passive millimeter-wave imaging

Abstract

Polarimetric measurement can gain more object information when compared to traditional methods. Linear polarization ratio (LPR) of the millimeter-wave thermal emission has been presented recently and proved to be effective in material classification. The LPR classification technique can be used for the metal detection in the soil and concrete ground. The roughness has not been considered in analysing LPR properties and it may affect the classification performance. In this paper, we focus on the influence of surface roughness on LPR. By solving scattering problem, the LPR properties of different roughness parameters are investigated. Theoretical calculations indicate that the LPR value decreases with the increasing of surface roughness. In addition, the applicable scope of LPR classification technique to discriminate rough surfaces is discussed.