The application of coherent detection techniques in the microwave and infrared regime

The usage of man-made electromagnetic waves (e.g., spectra lines) is considered, and coherent detection is used as a demodulation technique that allows the original complex (modulation) amplitude to be regenerated, i.e., that requires a phase reference in the receiver. Until now there was only one area, the microwave radar regime, where coherent detection techniques were frequently and operationally employed, synthetic aperture radar being the most powerful and advanced type. All other operational microwave and infrared applications are today based on incoherent detection techniques. Presently planned active microwave experiments are a direct extension of the well known HF, VHF and UHF-Radio Beach Experiments (RBE). To foster this merging process from a physical as well as from a technological point of view seems to be a very challenging, complementary, and promising aspect for the RBE-community.