Orbital angular momentum assisted ground penetrating radars

This paper explores using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) controlled electromagnetic waves for enhanced ground penetrating radar (GPR) imaging and detection. A macroscopic interpretation of OAM is propagating waves with vortexshaped wave fronts. At the photon level OAM appears as a quantum degree of freedom with integer quanta of angular momentum added to each photon. This is in addition to Spin Angular Momentum (SAM). The use of OAM in GPR has at least two potential advantages. The vortex shape may enable better discernment of cylindrical versus non-cylindrical buried objects. At the quantum level entanglement of OAM with other quantum degrees of freedom may enable enhanced imaging, such as the ghost imaging of objects that produce weak signal returns. The results include experiments that demonstrate the generation and reception of EM waves with a circular pattern of antennas operating as phased arrays to produce vortex-shaped waves at frequencies and dimensions typical of conventional GPRs.

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