Random FM Waveforms Jointly Optimized for Delay-Doppler Ambiguity Shaping

Waveform agility introduces additional degrees of freedom to achieve distinct operational objectives. However, pulse-to-pulse diversity does come at the expense of range sidelobe modulation (RSM), which may mask small targets in proximity to large clutter returns. Sophisticated waveform design or receive processing techniques can improve detection capabilities by incorporating prior or assumed knowledge. Here, we consider a waveform design approach that jointly optimizes a set of random FM waveforms to suppress RSM within a specified region of the delay-Doppler response otherwise known as the point-spread function. This approach likewise provides a complementary condition that is chosen for a region of delay and Doppler. Joint optimization of waveform sets also introduces the prospect of a sense-and-notch (in delay-Doppler) cognitive capability.