Real-Time Optical Processor For Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Formation

An acousto-optic processor which forms synthetic aperture radar images in real-time is described. It employs a space and time integrating architecture to perform the required two dimensional matched filtering operation as a sequence of one dimensional processes. The matched filtering in range is performed on each radar return pulse using the acousto-optic device. The azimuthal matched filtering is performed using a fixed reference mask and a charge-coupled device operating in the time delay and integrate mode. This fixed mask architecture has been modified to include a background subtraction capability to reduce the effects of unwanted bias terms on image quality. The effectiveness of this technique will be analyzed for two different time bandwidth product cases. SAR imagery formed using the real-time optical processor will be presented.