ECE 451

Advanced Microwave Measurements

5a. Parallel‐Plate Waveguides

Jose E. Schutt-Aine
Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Illinois
jesa@illinois.edu

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 1
 Parallel-Plate Waveguide
Maxwell’s Equations   2 E   2  E  0

2E 2E 2E

x+ x+ x = - 2  E
x
x 2 y 2 z 2

2 Ey 2 Ey 2 Ey
+ + = - 2  E y
x 2 y 2 z 2

 2 Ez  2 Ez  2 Ez
+ + = - 2
 Ez
x 2
y 2
z 2

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 2
 TE Modes
For a parallel-plate waveguide, the plates are infinite in the y-
extent; we need to study the propagation in the z-direction. The
following assumptions are made in the wave equation
  
  0, but  0 and 0
y x z
 Assume Ey only

These two conditions define the TE modes and the wave

equation is simplified to read

2 Ey 2 Ey
+ = - 2  E y (¥)
x 2
z 2

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 3
 Phasor Solution
General solution (forward traveling wave)

E y ( x, z )  e  j  z z  Ae  j  x x  Be  j  x x 

At x = 0, Ey = 0 which leads to A + B = 0. Therefore,

A = -B = Eo/2j, where Eo is an arbitrary constant

Ey ( x, z )  Eo e j z z sin  x x

a is the distance separating the two PEC plates

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 4
 Dispersion Relation
At x = a, Ey(x, z) = 0  Eo e  j  z z sin  x a  0

This leads to: xa= m, where m = 1, 2, 3, ...

m
x 
a
Moreover, from the differential equation (¥), we get the dispersion
relation
z2   x2   2    2

2
 m 
which leads to  z   2    
 a 

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 5
 Guidance Condition
2
 m 
 z   2    
 a 

where m = 1, 2, 3 ... Since propagation is to take place in the z

direction, for the wave to propagate, we must have z2 > 0, or
2
 m 
   
2

 a 
This leads to the following guidance condition which will
insure wave propagation
m
f 
2a 

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 6
 Cutoff Frequency
The cutoff frequency fc is defined to be at the onset of propagation

m v 2a
fc  c  =
2a  fc m

Each mode is referred to as the TEm mode. It is obvious that

there is no TE0 mode and the first TE mode is the TE1 mode.

The cutoff frequency is the frequency below which the mode

associated with the index m will not propagate in the waveguide.
Different modes will have different cutoff frequencies.

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 7
Magnetic Field for TE Modes
From   E = - j H

xˆ yˆ zˆ
1
we have H  
0 
j x z

0 Ey 0
which leads to
z
Hx   Eoe j z sin  x x
z


j x
Hz   Eo e j z cos  x x
z


The magnetic field for TE modes has 2 components

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 8
 E & H Fields for TE Modes

As can be seen, there is no Hy component,

therefore, the TE solution has Ey, Hx and Hz only.

From the dispersion relation, it can be shown that the propagation

vector components satisfy the relations
z = sin, x = cos where  is the angle of incidence of the
propagation vector with the normal to the conductor plates.

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 9
 Phase and Group Velocities
The phase and group velocities are given by

 c
v pz    f c2
z f c2 and vg   c 1 2
1 2  z f
f

The effective guide impedance is given by:

Ey o
TE  
H x f c2
1 2
f

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 10
Transverse Magnetic (TM) Modes
The magnetic field also satisfies the wave equation:

Maxwell’s Equations   2 H +  2  H =0

2 H x 2 H x 2 H x
+ + = - 2
 H x
x 2
y 2
z 2

2 H y 2 H y 2 H y
+ + = - 2  H y
x 2 y 2 z 2

2 H z 2 H z 2 H z
+ + = - 2
 H z
x 2
y 2
z 2

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 11
 TM Modes
For TM modes, we assume
  
  0, but  0 and 0
y x z
Assume Hy only
These two conditions define the TM modes and the equations are
simplified to read
2H y 2H y
+ = - 2  H y
x 2 z 2
General solution (forward traveling wave)

H y ( x, z )  e  j  z z  Ae  j  x x  Be  j  x x 

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 12
Electric Field for TM Modes
From   H = -j E

xˆ yˆ zˆ
1
we get E 
0 
j x z

0 Hy 0

This leads to
 z  j z
Ex ( x, z )  e z
 Ae j x  Be j x 
x x


 x  j z
E z ( x, z )  e z
  Ae j x  Be j x 
x x



ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 13
 TM Modes Fields
At x=0, Ez = 0 which leads to A = B = Ho/2 where Ho is an arbitrary
constant. This leads to

H y ( x, z )  H o e j z z cos  x x
z
Ex ( x, z )  H oe j z cos  x x
z


j x
E z ( x, z )  H o e j z sin  x x
z



At x =a, Ez = 0 which leads to

xa = m, where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 14
 E & H Fields for TM Modes

m
x 
a
This defines the TM modes which have only Hy, Ex and Ez
components.

The effective guide impedance is given by:

Ex f c2
TM   o 1  2
Hy f
The electric field for TM modes has 2 components

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 15
 E & H Fields for TM Modes
THE DISPERSION RELATION, GUIDANCE CONDITION
AND CUTOFF EQUATIONS FOR A PARALLEL-PLATE
WAVEGUIDE ARE THE SAME FOR TE AND TM MODES.

This defines the TM modes; each mode is referred to as the TMm

mode. It can be seen from that m=0 is a valid choice; it is called the
TM0, or transverse electromagnetic or TEM mode. For this mode
and,

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 16
 TEM Mode
x=0 and z = . There are no x variations of the fields within the
waveguide. The TEM mode has a cutoff frequency at DC and is
always present in the waveguide.
H y  H o e  j z z The propagation 
z  j z  characteristics of the 
Ex  H oe  z
H o e j z z
TEM mode do not 
  vary with frequency
Ez  0

The TEM mode is the fundamental mode on a

parallel-plate waveguide
ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 17
 Power for TE Modes
1
Time-Average Poynting Vector P  Re E  H *
2
TE modes
1

P  Re yˆ E y   xˆ H x*  zˆ H z* 
2


1  Eo
2
Eo
2

P  Re  zˆ  z sin  x x  xˆ j
2
 x cos  x x sin  x x 
2    
2
Eo
P  zˆ  z sin 2  x x
2

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 18
 Power for TM Modes
TM modes
1
P  Re  xˆ E x  zˆ E z   yˆ H *y 
2
1  Ho 2
Ho
2

P  Re  zˆ  z cos  x x  xˆ j
2
 x sin  x x cos  x x 
2    
2
Ho
P  zˆ  z cos 2  x x
2
The total time-average power is found by integrating <P>
over the area of interest.

ECE 451 – Jose Schutt‐Aine 19