Reverse Time Migration for Extended Obstacles: Electromagnetic Waves

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel single-frequency reverse time migration algorithm for electromagnetic imaging of extended targets, demonstrating improved stability and resolution through theoretical analysis and numerical validation.

Contribution

The paper presents a new RTM method using the imaginary part of cross-correlation for electromagnetic imaging, with theoretical stability analysis and numerical demonstrations.

Findings

Imaging functional is always positive, indicating stability.

Method achieves high-resolution imaging of extended targets.

Numerical examples confirm theoretical stability and imaging quality.

Abstract

We propose a new single frequency reverse time migration (RTM) algorithm for imaging extended targets using electromagnetic waves. The imaging functional is defined as the imaginary part of the cross-correlation of the Green function for Helmholtz equation and the back-propagated electromagnetic field. The resolution of our RTM method for both penetrable and non-penetrable extended targets is studied by virtue of Helmholtz-Kirchhoff identity for the time-harmonic Maxwell equation. The analysis implies that our imaging functional is always positive and thus may have better stability properties. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the powerful imaging quality and confirm our theoretical results.