EXCITATION OF WAVEGUIDES-ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC

CURRENTS

So far we have considered the propagation, reflection, and transmission of guided waves

in the absence of sources, but obviously the waveguide or transmission line must be

coupled to a generator or some other source of power. For TEM or quasi-TEM lines,

there is usually only one propagating mode that can be excited by a given source,

although there may be reactance (stored energy) associated with a given feed. In the

waveguide case, it may be possible for several propagating modes to be excited, along

with evanescent modes that store energy. In this section we will develop a formalism for

determining the excitation of a given waveguide mode due to an arbitrary electric or

magnetic current source. This theory can then be used impedance of probe and loop feeds

and, in the next , to determine the excitation of waveguides by apertures.

Current Sheets That Excite Only One Waveguide Mode

Consider an infinitely long rectangular waveguid with a transverse sheet of electric

surface current density at z = 0, as shown in Figure 5.28. First assume that this current

has and y
x components given as

2A mn n mx nx 2A mn m mx nx
J sTE ( x , y) x cos sin y sin cos
b a b a a b

We will show that such a current excites a TEmn waveguide mode traveling away from the

current source in both the +z and -z directions.

From Table 4.2, the transverse fields for positive and negative traveling TE mn waveguide

modes can be written as

 n mx nx jz
E x Z TE A mn cos sin e
b a b

m mx nx jz
E y Z TE A mn sin cos e
a a b

m mx ny jz
H x A mn sin cos e
a a b

n mx nx jz
H y A mn cos sin e
b a b

where the notation refers to waves traveling in the z+ direction or z direction with

amplitude coefficients A mn and A mn respectively.

From (2.36) and (2.37), the following boundary conditions must be satisfied at z = 0

E

E z 0

z H H J s

Equation (5.120a) states that the transverse components of the electric field must be

continuous at z = 0, which when applied to (5.119a) and (5.119b) gives

A mn = A mn

Equation (5.120b) states that the discontinuity in the transverse magnetic field is equal to

the electric surface current density. Thus, the surface current density at z=0 must be

J S y H x H x x H y H y

2A mn n mx nx 2A mn m mx ny
= x cos sin y sin cos ,
b a b a a b

where (5.121) was used. This current is seen to be the same as the current of (5.118)

which shows, by the uniqueness theorem, that such a current will excite only the TEmn
FIGURE 5.28 An infinitely long rectangular waveguide with surface current densities at

z = 0.

mode propagating in each direction, since Maxwell's equations and all boundary

conditions are satisfied.

The analogous electric current that excites only the. TMmn mode can be shown to be

2B mn m mx ny 2B mn n mx ny
J sTM ( x , y) x cos sin y sin cos
a a b b a b

It is left as a problem to verify that this current excites TM mn modes that satisfy the

appropriate boundary conditions.

Similar results can be derived for magnetic surface current sheets. From (2.36) and (2.37)

the appropriate boundary conditions are

E
E z M S

z H H 0
For a magnetic current sheet at z = 0, the TEmn waveguide mode fields of (5.119) must

now have continuous Hx and Hy field components, due to (5. 124b). This results in the

condition that

A mn = -A mn

Then applying (5.124a) gives the source current as

 x 2 Z TE A mn n mx ny 2 Z TE A mn n mx ny
M TE
s sin cos y cos sin
a a b b a b

The corresponding magnetic surface current that excites only the TM mn mode can be

shown to be

x 2B mn n mx ny y 2B mn n mx ny
M sTM sin cos cos sin
b a b a a b

These results show that a single waveguide mode can be selectively excited, to the

exclusion of all other modes, by either an electric or magnetic current sheet of the

appropriate form. In practice, however, such currents are very difficult to generate, and

are usually only approximated with one or two probes or loops. In this case many modes

may be excited, but usually most of these modes are evanescent.

Mode Excitation from an Arbitrary Electric or Magnetic Current Source

We now consider the excitation of waveguide modes by an arbitrary electric or magnetic

current source [3]. With reference to Figure 5.29, first consider an electric current source

J located between two transverse planes at zl and z2, which generates the fields E , H

traveling in the +z direction, and the fields E , H traveling in the z direction. These

fields can be expressed in terms of the waveguide modes as follows:

E A n E n A n e n ze zn e jn z , z z2
n n

H A n H n A n h n zh zn e jn z , z z2
n n

E A n E n A n e n ze zn e jn z , z z1
n n

H A n H n A n h n zh zn e jn z , z z1
n n
where the single index n is used to represent any possible TE or TM mode. For a given

current 1, we can determine the unknown amplitude A n by using the Lorentz reciprocity

theorem of (2.173) with M1 M 2 0 (since here we are only considering an electric

current source),

E
s
1 H 2 E 2 H1 d s E
V
2 J1 E1 J 2 dv,

where S is a closed surface enclosing the volume V, and * are the fields due to the current

source J i (for i = l or 2).

To apply the reciprocity theorem to the present problem, we let the volume V be the

region between the waveguide walls and the transverse cross-section planes at z l and z2.

Then let E 1 E and H 1 H depending on whether z z2 or z z1 and let E 2 , H 2 be

the nth waveguide mode traveling in the negative z direction:

E 2 E n e n ze zn e jn z

H 2 H n h n zh zn e jn z

FIGURE 5.29 An arbitrary electric or magnetic current source in an infinitely long

waveguide.

Substitution into the above fonn of the reciprocity theorem gives, with * and
 E

H n E n H d s E n Jdv,
s V

The portion of the surface integral over the waveguide walls vanishes because the

tangential electric field is zero there; that is, E H z H z E 0 on the waveguide

walls. This reduces the integration to the guide cross-section, So, at the planes Z l and Z2.

In addition, the waveguide modes are orthogonal over the guide cross-section:

E m H n .ds e m ze zn h n zh zn zds
S0 S0

= S e m h n zds 0,
0
for m n

Using (5.128) and (5.130) then reduces (5.129) to

A n E n H n E n H n ds A n E n H n E n H n ds,
z2 z1

E n Jdv
V

Since the second integral vanishes, this further reduces to

A n
z2
e n
ze zn h n zh zn e n ze zn h n zh zn zds

2A n e n h n zds E n Jdv,
z2 V

or

1 1
e n ze zn Je jn z dv,
Pn V Pn V
A n E n Jdv

where

Pn 2 e n h n zds.
S0

is a normalization constant proportional to the power flow of the nth mode.

By repeating the above procedure with E 2 E n and H 2 H n , the amplitude of the

negatively traveling waves can be derived as

 1 1
e n ze zn Je jn z dv,
Pn V
A n E n Jdv
Pn V

The above results are quite general, being applicable to any type of waveguide (including

planar lines such as stripline and microstrip), where modal fields can be defined.

Example 5.11 applies this theory to the problem of a probe-fed rectangular waveguide.

EXAMPLE 5.11

For the probe-fed rectangular waveguide shown in Figure 5.30, determine the amplitudes

of the forward and backward traveling TE10 modes, and the input resistance seen by the

probe. Assume that the TE10 mode is the only propagating mode.

Solution

If the current probe is assumed to have an infinitesimal diameter, the source

volume current density J can be written as

a
J x , y, z I 0 x (z ) y, for 0 y b
2

From Chapter 4 the TE10 modal fields can be written as

x
e1 y sin ,
a
x x
h1 sin
Z1 a

where Z1 k 0 0 / 1 is the TE10 wave impedance. From (5.132) the normalization

constant P1 is,

2 a b x ab
P1
Z1
x 0 y0
sin 2
a
dxdy
Z1

Then from (5.131) the amplitude A 1 is

 1 x j1z a I 0 b Z1 I 0
A 1
P1 V
sin
a
e I 0 x ( z)dxdydz
2 P1

a

Similarly,

Z1 I 0
A 1
a

FIGURE 5.30 A uniform current probe in a rectangular waveguide.

If the TE10 mode is the only propagating mode in the waveguide, then this mode carries

all of the average power, which can be calculated for real Z1 as

1 1
P
2 0S
E H * d s E H * .d s
2 S0

= SE H d s
*
0

If the input resistance seen looking into the probe is R in, and the terminal current is I0,

then P I 0 R in / 2 , so that the input resistance is

2

2
2P ab A 1 bZ1
R in 2
I0 I 02 Z1 a

which is real for real Z1 (corresponding to a propagating TE10 mode).

A similar derivation can be carried out for a magnetic current source M .This source

will also generate positively and negatively traveling waves which can be expressed as a

superposition of waveguide modes, as in (5.128). For J1 J 2 0 , the reciprocity theorem

of (2.173) reduces to

E
s
1 H 2 E 2 H1 d s H
V
1 M 2 H 2 M 1 dv,

By following the same procedure as for the electric current case, the excitation

coefficients of the nth waveguide mode can be derived as

1
h zh zn Me j n z dv,
1
A n
Pn V
H n Mdv
Pn V n

h
1 1
A n
Pn
V
H n Mdv
Pn V n zh zn Me jn z dv,

where Pn is defined in (5.132).

EXAMPLE 5.12

Find the excitation coefficient of the forward traveling TE 10 mode generated by the loop

in the end wall of the waveguide shown in Figure 5.31a.

Solution

By image theory, the half-loop of current 10 on the end wall of the waveguide can be

replaced by a full loop of current 10, without the end wall, as shown in
FIGURE 5.31 Application of image theory to a loop in the end wall of a

rectangularwaveguide. (a) Original geometry. (b) Using image theory to replace the

end wall with the image of the half-loop.

Figure 5.31b. Assuming that the current loop is very small, it is equivalent to a magnetic

dipole moment,

a b
Pm xI 0 r02 x y z
2 2

Now since E j B M j 0 H j 0 Pm M , a magnetic polarization

current P m can be related to an equivalent magnetic current density M as

M j 0 Pm

Thus, the loop can be represented as a magnetic current density:

a b
M xj 0 I 0 r02 x y z V / m 2
2 2

If we define the modal h 1 field as

x x
h1 sin ,
Z1 a
then (5.135) gives the forward wave excitation coefficient A 1 as

1 jk 0 0 I 0 r02
V h 1 Mdv ab

A
1
P1