Traditional laser radar one-dimensional range profiles (LRP) mainly rely on echo intensity to characterize target scattering properties. Although intensity-based LRP can reveal the longitudinal distribution of scattering centers, their discrimination capability is often limited in complex environments where targets and backgrounds exhibit similar intensity responses. To enhance target characterization in range-resolved laser radar detection, a polarization onedimensional range profile (pLRP) framework is proposed by incorporating polarization measurement mechanisms into the conventional LRP imaging model.
Based on the Stokes-Mueller polarization formalism, range-resolved equivalent Mueller responses are reconstructed from multiple incident and receiving polarization states. The obtained matrix represents the effective polarization response within each range bin and enables distance-resolved characterization of target polarization scattering properties. On this basis, several polarization features, including the degree of polarization (DOP), angle of polarization (AOP), and selected Mueller matrix elements, are extracted to establish a polarization feature representation framework for target characterization.
A tank model is employed as a representative artificial target. Different target materials, including aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are considered, while several background scenarios, including grass, concrete, sand, and asphalt, are introduced to evaluate the robustness of polarization features. To better simulate practical laser radar detection conditions, additive Gaussian white noise with a signal-to-noise ratio of 30 dB is incorporated into the echo signals. The responses of different polarization features to target structure, material properties, observation geometry, and background variations are systematically analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the Mueller matrix element m₃₂, which characterizes polarizationstate coupling during the scattering process and is sensitive to surface morphology, local curvature, material electromagnetic properties, and scattering geometry.
Simulation results demonstrate that, compared with conventional intensity range profiles and commonly used polarization parameters such as DOP and AOP, the m₃₂ feature exhibits stronger responses at structural discontinuities, target edges, material transition regions, and target- background boundaries. Under different background and noise conditions, m₃₂ maintains clear structural variations and provides superior background suppression capability. Furthermore, m₃₂ shows high sensitivity to material-dependent polarization scattering behaviors and effectively enhances the polarization contrast between targets and backgrounds.
The results indicate that the proposed pLRP framework can provide richer target information than traditional intensity-only range profiles. In particular, the range-resolved Mueller matrix element m₃₂ exhibits significant potential for target characterization and discrimination in complex environments. This work extends the application of polarization scattering features in laser radar range-profile imaging and provides a theoretical basis for advanced target detection, polarization feature extraction, and target recognition using polarization laser radar systems.