Reflection-Based Source Inversion for Sparse Imaging of Low-Loss Composite Panels

This article presents a bistatic reflection-based imaging technique for electromagnetic testing of conductor-backed composite panels, which is based on an inverse formulation of the numerical problem at hand, and technically extends a previously demonstrated transmission-based system. The technique exploits the a priori assumption of pixel-based sparsity and retrieves the final image using data from only a single measurement, thereby removing the necessity of a reference measurement to be conducted. To demonstrate the capability of the technique, retrieved images are presented for a synthetic proof-of-concept device under test and an industrially manufactured composite panel. The presented technique can be considered as the initial model in the development of more complex bistatic imaging systems and has been developed for the purpose of extending the opportunities to conduct reflection-based electromagnetic nondestructive testing on aircraft structural components.