Near-field aperture synthesis millimeter wave imaging for security screening of personnel

An extension of the radio astronomy technique of aperture synthesis imaging into novel near-field three-dimensional microscopy is discussed. The basics of near-field aperture synthesis imaging are overviewed and results of demonstrators and simulations are presented. Spatial variations in the phase of near-field aperture synthesis signals are examined, to illustrate possible sub-wavelength instrument range and cross-range spatial resolutions. The results show that in the near-field there are opportunities for three-dimensional imaging with applications in security screening of personnel and medical applications.