A comprehensive error model for polarimetric measurement systems

In polarimetric measurement systems, the calibration procedure is based on an error model. A system consisting of a conventional automatic vector network analyzer test set, an OMT polariser, a horn antenna, and an anechoic chamber is calibrated with a 30 term error model. We present the 18 term model used for the combination of the OMT, the horn and the chamber. The model overcomes the impedance mismatches, non-symmetrical radiation patterns in horizontal and vertical planes, leakage, and wave reflections. A simple and precise three-stage calibration procedure is proposed that considers all the 18 error terms. Theoretical results are in very good agreement with experimental results.