EE 102 spring 2001-2002 Handout #23

Lecture 11
The Fourier transform

denition
examples
the Fourier transform of a unit step
the Fourier transform of a periodic signal
properties
the inverse Fourier transform

111
 The Fourier transform
well be interested in signals dened for all t
the Fourier transform of a signal f is the function


F () = f (t)ejtdt

F is a function of a real variable ; the function value F () is (in

general) a complex number



F () = f (t) cos t dt j f (t) sin t dt

|F ()| is called the amplitude spectrum of f ;  F () is the phase

spectrum of f
notation: F = F(f ) means F is the Fourier transform of f ; as for
Laplace transforms we usually use uppercase letters for the transforms
(e.g., x(t) and X(), h(t) and H(), etc.)

The Fourier transform 112

 Fourier transform and Laplace transform

Laplace transform of f


F (s) = f (t)est dt
0

Fourier transform of f


G() = f (t)ejt dt

very similar denitions, with two dierences:

Laplace transform integral is over 0 t < ; Fourier transform integral

is over < t <
Laplace transform: s can be any complex number in the region of
convergence (ROC); Fourier transform: j lies on the imaginary axis

The Fourier transform 113

therefore,

if f (t) = 0 for t < 0,

if the imaginary axis lies in the ROC of L(f ), then

G() = F (j),

i.e., the Fourier transform is the Laplace transform evaluated on the

imaginary axis
if the imaginary axis is not in the ROC of L(f ), then the Fourier
transform doesnt exist, but the Laplace transform does (at least, for
all s in the ROC)

if f (t) = 0 for t < 0, then the Fourier and Laplace transforms can be
very dierent

The Fourier transform 114

examples
one-sided decaying exponential

0 t<0
f (t) =
et t 0

Laplace transform: F (s) = 1/(s + 1) with ROC {s | s > 1}

Fourier transform is


1
f (t)ejt dt = = F (j)
j + 1

one-sided growing exponential


0 t<0
f (t) =
et t 0

Laplace transform: F (s) = 1/(s 1) with ROC {s | s > 1}

f doesnt have a Fourier transform

The Fourier transform 115

 Examples
double-sided exponential: f (t) = ea|t| (with a > 0)


0

F () = ea|t| ejt dt = eatejt dt + eatejt dt
0
1 1
= +
a j a + j
2a
=
a2 + 2

1 2/a

F ()
f (t)

0 1/a t 0 a a
1/a

The Fourier transform 116

 
1 T t T
rectangular pulse: f (t) =
0 |t| > T

T
jt 1  jT  2 sin T
F () = e dt = e ejT
=
T j

1 2T

F ()
f (t)

0
0
T T /T /T
t
unit impulse: f (t) = (t)


F () = (t)ejt dt = 1

The Fourier transform 117

 
1 1T t1+T
shifted rectangular pulse: f (t) =
0 t < 1 T or t > 1 + T

1+T
jt 1  j(1+T ) j(1T )

F () = e dt = e e
1T j
ej  jT 
= e ejT
j
2 sin T j
= e

(phase assuming T = 1)
2T
|F ()|

F ()
0


0

/T /T /T /T

The Fourier transform 118
 Step functions and constant signals

by allowing impulses in F(f ) we can dene the Fourier transform of a step

function or a constant signal
unit step
what is the Fourier transform of

0 t<0
f (t) = ?
1 t0

the Laplace transform is 1/s, but the imaginary axis is not in the ROC,
and therefore the Fourier transform is not 1/j
in fact, the integral





f (t)ejt dt = ejt dt = cos t dt j sin t dt
0 0 0

is not dened

The Fourier transform 119

however, we can interpret f as the limit for 0 of a one-sided decaying
exponential  t
e t0
g(t) =
0 t < 0,

( > 0), which has Fourier transform

1 a j a j
G() = = =
a + j a2 + 2 a2 + 2 a2 + 2

as 0,
a j 1
(), 2
a2 + 2 a + 2 j

lets therefore define the Fourier transform of the unit step as

1
F () = ejt dt = () +
0 j

The Fourier transform 1110

negative time unit step

1 t0
f (t) =
0 t>0

0

1
F () = ejt dt = ejt dt = ()
0 j

constant signals: f (t) = 1

f is the sum of a unit step and a negative time unit step:

0

jt jt
F () = e dt = e dt + ejt dt = 2()
0

The Fourier transform 1111

 Fourier transform of periodic signals
similarly, by allowing impulses in F(f ), we can dene the Fourier transform
of a periodic signal
sinusoidal signals: Fourier transform of f (t) = cos 0t


1  j t j0 t
 jt
F () = e 0 +e e dt
2



1 1
= ej(0)tdt + ej(+0)tdt
2 2
= ( 0) + ( + 0)

F ()

0 0

The Fourier transform 1112

Fourier transform of f (t) = sin 0t


1  j0 t

F () = ej0 t
e ejt dt
2j



1 j(0 )t 1
= e dt + ej(0+)tdt
2j 2j
= j( 0) + j( + 0)

F ()

0

0

The Fourier transform 1113

periodic signal f (t) with fundamental frequency 0

express f as Fourier series


f (t) = ak ejk0t
k=




F () = ak ej(k0)t dt = 2 ak ( k0)
k= k=
F ()
2a0

2a1 2a1

2a2 2a2
2a3 2a3

30 20 0 0 20 30

The Fourier transform 1114

 Properties of the Fourier transform

linearity af (t) + bg(t) aF () + bG()

1
time scaling f (at) |a| F ( a)

time shift f (t T ) ejT F ()

df (t)
dierentiation dt jF ()
dk f (t)
dtk
(j)k F ()
t F ()
integration
f ( )d j + F (0)()
k
k d F ()
multiplication with t t f (t)
k
j dk

convolution
f ( )g(t ) d F ()G()
1

multiplication f (t)g(t) 2 F (
)G(
) d

The Fourier transform 1115

 Examples

1 t0
sign function: f (t) =
1 t < 0

write f as f (t) = 1 + 2g(t), where g is a unit step at t = 0, and apply

linearity
2 2
F () = 2() + 2() + =
j j

sinusoidal signal: f (t) = cos(0t + )

write f as
f (t) = cos(0(t + /0))
and apply time shift property:

F () = ej/0 (( 0) + ( + 0))

The Fourier transform 1116

 
0 |t| > 10
pulsed cosine: f (t) =
cos t 10 t 10

0.5

f (t) 0

0.5

1
10 0 10
t
write f as a product f (t) = g(t) cos t where g is a rectangular pulse of
width 20 (see page 12-7)

2 sin 10
F(cos t) = ( 1) + ( + 1), F(g(t)) =

The Fourier transform 1117

now apply multiplication property


sin 10

F (j) = ((
1) + (
+ 1)) d



sin(10( 1)) sin(10( + 1))
= +
1 +1

12

10

6
F ()

4
1 0 1

The Fourier transform 1118

 The inverse Fourier transform
if F () is the Fourier transform of f (t), i.e.,


F () = f (t)ejt dt

then

1
f (t) = F ()ejt d
2

lets check





1 1
F ()ejt d = f ( )ej ejtd
2 = 2 = =




1
= f ( ) ej( t) d d
2 = =


= f ( )( t)d

= f (t)

The Fourier transform 1119