Quadratic antenna systems and noise excited antennas

A quadratic receiving antenna system is defined as a multiport antenna whose outputs are passed through square-law detectors, or, in pair, through correlators (product detectors). These detected signals are then linearly combined with different weights to give the output or response of the receiving system. A reciprocity relation is derived which relates the electromagnetic field radiated by a multiport transmitting antenna excited by quasi-monochromatic noise sources to the response of a quadratic receiving antenna system. The noise sources exciting the transmitting antenna may be independent or they may be correlated. In general, the radiated field is partially polarized. The weights used in combining the signals from the square-law detectors and the correlators in the associated receiving system are determined by the intensities of, and the correlations between, the noise sources exciting the transmitting antennas. Practical use has been made of the derived reciprocity relation. The radiation properties of noise-excited multiport antennas have been determined by measurements made on the associated quadratic receiving system.