The research group of DIA-CoE has successfully measured the Cross-sections of canonical metallic objects using THz RADAR system in the Lab.

Senior Professor Anil Kumar Chaudhary, and Sr. Research Scholar Dr. Chandan Ghorui (PMRF, Former CSIR, DST DRDO) of the DIA- Centre of Excellence (ACRHEM), School of Physics, University of Hyderabad have successfully investigated and demonstrated the validation of a 0.3 THz Silicon Germanium (SiGe) radar system for determining the terahertz radar cross-sections (TRCS) of canonical objects under standoff mode. The team employed a physical-optics-based numerical simulation approach to analyze the effect of important factors such as polarization, target orientation, incident energy, and surface coatings influence TRCS across varying aspect, azimuth, and elevation angles of terahertz radiation.

Their analytical framework effectively characterizes the TRCS of canonical objects including circular flat plates, finite-length cylinders, and elliptical targets. The strength of the reflected signal from targets positioned 2.0 m away was found to be strongly dependent on both the radar signal bandwidth and target distance. Furthermore, the researchers have calibrated the 0.3 THz radar for real-time detection of explosives and metallic materials. The distinctive reflection peaks were clearly observed for various explosives and metals when placed either in direct view or concealed behind a 2 mm-thick cardboard barrier at an average distance of 2.0 m.

The validated 0.3 THz radar prototype demonstrates strong potential for deployment in field environments, offering a rapid, non-invasive method for identifying concealed explosives and metallic objects where conventional detection tools are limited.

The work is published in high quality, high impact, Q1, IEEE Sensors Journal,26,1, 264-276, 2026. (I. F~4.5). DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2025.3619149.

Dr. Chandan Ghorui expresses his sincere thanks to the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) grant, Govt. of India for maintence fellowship. Dr. Chandan Ghorui & Senior Professor Anil Kumar Chaudhary express they’re thanks to Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defense Govt. of India for establishing THz RADAR system under grant No. DRDO/18/1801/2016/01038: ACRHEM-Phase III and Dr. S.C. Bhattacharyya for constant logistic support.