Published 2025 | Early Access
Journal Article Open

Phase Noise and Dynamic Range in Radar Arrays

  • 1. ROR icon California Institute of Technology

Abstract

In this work, the phase noise-induced sidelobes that limit radar dynamic range are analyzed. An analytical framework that maps circuit-level parameters to a stochastic model of local oscillator phase noise in a radar array is developed. The model is used to analytically predict phase noise-induced sidelobes for a variety of radar configurations. The effects of range-Doppler-spatial processing are quantified and related to code-dependent parameters for FMCW and PMCW radars. Analytical expressions are verified with time-domain stochastic simulations, rigorously defined using the theory of stochastic differential equations. A link budget example for an automotive MIMO radar is provided, demonstrating the utility of the analytical framework in determining the required local oscillator phase noise for a desired radar dynamic range.

Copyright and License

© 2025 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

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Additional details

Created:
May 1, 2025
Modified:
May 1, 2025