Quantum Radar with Vortex Microwave Photons

Quantum Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) indicates that each Electro-Magnetic (EM) photon of an EM wave carries OAM. In the microwave band, such an EM wave photon is called a vortex microwave photon. Physical properties distinguish between EM waves with vortex and plane wave photons. When illuminating a traditional stealthy target composed of absorbing materials, a vortex microwave photon can achieve higher echo power, thereby improving the Radar Cross Section (RCS), the corresponding receiving signal power, and detection probability. Hence, the vortex microwave photon shows promise in antistealth technology. In this paper, a vortex microwave quantum radar based on the OAM quantum state is proposed. Its basic physical architecture and corresponding mathematical model are given, and the high echo power characteristics of the vortex microwave photon are analyzed using Quantum Electro-Dynamics (QED). The correctness of the theoretical calculation was experimentally verified with an approximate 9 dB improvement in echo power. Moreover, the simulations are performed to clarify the improvement in radar performance, including the receiving power and detection probability, illustrating the capability of the vortex microwave photon when applied to antistealth radar.