TRANSMISSION LINES AND WAVEGUIDES

Uniformity along the Direction of Propagation

Definition: Transmission Line
TL is the term to describe transmission systems with two or
more metallic conductors electrically insulated from each
other.
Definition: Waveguide
The propagation in a waveguide is generally ensured by
successive reflections on the guide boundaries. These are
conducting walls in the case of metallic WG’s. Dielectric WG’s
and optical fibers utilize the total internal reflection.
Clasification of the Modes of Propagation
The presence and apsence of longitudial field components
affects the propagation behaviour of the modes. Four mode
categories can exist:
Ez Hz Name Mode
0 0 Transverse TEM
Electromagnetic
0 0 Transverse TE
Electric
0 0 Transverse TM
Magnetic
0 0 Hybrid
Classification of Lines and Waveguides
A large number of different structures can be used to transmit
electromagnetic signals. They can be:
1) Either open (radiation can take place) or closed (fields
enclosed within a conducting envelope);
2) Either homogeneous (one single propagation medium
without the transverse dependence of the material
properties) or inhomogeneous (several different
propagation media);
3) Either conductorless or processing one or more
conductors.

PROPAGATION WITHIN A CLOSED HOMOGENEOUS METALLIC

WAVEGUIDE
We make the following assumptions:
1) The structure is uniform along the direction of
propagation.
2) The cross-section is arbitrary. It can be simply connected
(hollow WG) or multiply connected (several conductors).
3) The material which completely fills the WG is isotropic,
linear and homogeneous. Its material parameters  , 
and  do not depend on the position within the WG, nor
upon the amplitude of the signal.
4) The WG does not contain any electrical space charge
   0 .

Separation of Maxwell’s Equations into Longitudinal and

Transverse Components
The del operator  can be expressed as:


  t  aˆ z
z
Where  t is the transverse del operator and is given in the
Cartesian coordinates by
 
t  aˆ x  aˆ y
x y
Assuming now, time-harmonic fields with an e jt time
dependence and wave propagation along the + z-axis, the field
vectors can be written as:

E  x, y, z   e  x, y   aˆ z ez  x, y   e  j z
H  x, y, z    h  x, y   aˆ z hz  x, y   e  j z

The equation

X E   j H

Will take the form:

  

 t  ˆ
a  
X   e  x , y   ˆ
a e  x , y  
 e  j z
 
z 
z z z

 j h  x, y  e  j z  j hz  x, y  e  j z aˆ z
Or

 t X e  e j z  t X (aˆ z ez e j z )  aˆz X (e e  j  z )
z

 aˆ z X  aˆ z ez  e  j z
z
  j he  j z  j hz e  j z aˆ z
Or,
t X e  e j z  aˆz X  j  ee j z  t e z e j z 
  j he j z  j hz e j z aˆ z
From the second curl equation XH   E  j E
we equivalently get:

t X h  e j z  aˆ z X   j  h e  j z  t h z e  j z 
   j  e e j z    j  ez e j z aˆ z

Equating now the transverse and longitudinal parts gives:

t X e  x, y    j hz  x, y  aˆ z
t X h  x, y     j  ez  x, y  aˆ z Longitudinal Parts

t ez  j  e  x, y    j aˆ z X h  x, y 
t hz  j  h  x, y   (  j ) aˆ z X e  x, y  Transverse Parts

Expanding the operators, we get the following scalar

equations:
ez hz
 j  ey   j hx  j  hy  j ex
y y
e h
 j  ex  z   j hy  j  hx  z  j ey
x x
ey ex hy hx
   j hz   j ez
x y x y
Above we assumed that   0 (lossless dialectic in a WG).

GENERAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE TEM, TE AND TM WAVES

The above six equations can be solved for the four

transverse field components in terms of ez and hz as:
j  ez hz 
hx  2    
kc  y x 
j  ez hz 
hy       
kc2  x y 
j  ez hz 
ex       
kc2  x y 
j  ez hz 
ey       
kc2  y x 

Where kc2  k 2   2 and k    .

TEM WAVES

For TEM waves, the fields are, by definition, purely

transverse (the field vectors E and H lie in the plane
which is perpendicular to the direction of propagation). As
a result, Ez and H z are both zero. Then . E  0 gives:

 
 . e  x, y   aˆ z ez  x, y   e
 j z

 t  ˆ
a 0

z
 z 
Or,
t .e ( x, y)  j  ez  0
t .e ( x, y)  j  ez
Similarly, from .H  0 , we obtain
t .h ( x, y)  j  hz
Since ez  0 , hz  0 for a TEM wave, we have
t .e  x, y   0 t .h  x, y   0

Also, from longitudinal parts we write

t X e  x, y   0 t X h  x, y   0

The equations
t X e  x, y   0 t . e  x, y   0
Define a two-dimensional electrostatic problem while
t X h  x, y   0 t . h  x, y   0
describe a two-dimensional magnetostatic problem.

Consider now,

ez
 j  ey   j hx
y
h
 j  hx  z  j ey
x
Which reduces to

j  ey   j hx
 j  hx  j ey
 j   2
j  ey   j   ey  j  ey  j ey
  j  
Or,
From which we conclude that      k
In this case kc  0 .
Since 2 Ex  k 2 Ex  0 inside the WG and Ex  exe j z
 2 2  2   j z  j z

We will have x
   e e  k 2
e e 0
 
2 2 2 x x
 y z 
Or
 2 2 
 2  2    ex  k ex  0
2 2

 x y 
Since   k we get,

t2ex  0

We can write t
2
e  0 , th 0
 2

Both problems admit as solutions those of the two-dimensional

Laplace’s equation.
For a simply connected WG, Laplace’s equation admits the trivial
solution e  x, y   0 . The boundary condition imposes a
constant potential on the metal tube. Solutions of Laplace’s
equation require that the potential be constant everywhere
inside the tube. Thus, an empty hollow WG cannot propagate a
TEM wave.
On a two-conductor structure, a TEM wave can propagate, since
different potentials may exist on the two conductors. The voltage
between two conductors can be found as:
2
V12   e .dl
1

The current on a conductor can be found from Ampere’s Law as:

I  H .dl
c

Where C, is the cross-sectional contour.

The wave impedance of a TEM mode is defined as:

 ex  
ZTEM    
hy  
ey 
ZTEM    
hx 
The propagation of a TEM mode on a homogeneous
multiconductor line only depends on the propagation medium; it
is independent of the geometry and the line dimensions.
The TEM mode can propagate at any frequency on a
multiconductor.

For a TEM mode, we have,

1
h  x, y   aˆ z X e  x, y 
Z TEM
TE WAVES

Ez  0 ( by definition), H z  0 . Then,
j  hz
hx  
kc2 x
j  hz
hy  
kc2 y
j hz
ex  
kc2 y
j hz
ey  2
kc x
Where, hz satisfies:
   2
 2   k  hz  0, kc2  k 2   2
 x x
c

2

The solutions of the above equation are only found for

particular values of kc , when we apply the boundary
conditions. These are the eigenvalues of the TE mode
problem. The transverse wavenumber kc is specified by the
guide cross-section (shape and size) and by the transverse
distribution of the fields for the mode considered; it is
independent of the medium filling the guide. In a
homogeneous guide, the transverse wave number is
always real and positive.

The transverse fields can compactly be written as:

j j
e  x, y   2
aˆ z X t h  x, y  , h  x, y    2
t hz
k c k c

The TE wave impedance is:

Ex E y  k
ZTE    
Hy Hx  
Since  is frequency dependent, Z depends on the TE

frequency. TE waves can be supported inside closed

conductors, as well as between two or more conductors.
TM WAVES
Ez  0 (by definition), H z  0 . Then,

j ez
hx 
kc2 y
j ez
hy   2
kc x
j  ez
ex  
kc2 x
j  ez
ey  
kc2 y
Where ez satisfies:
   2
 2   k c  ez  0, kc2  k 2   2
 x x 2

The transverse fields can compactly be written as:
j j
e  x, y    t ez  x, y  , h  x, y    aˆ z X t ez  x, y 
kc2 2
kc
The TM Wave Impedance:
Ex Ey  
ZTM      Frequency dependent 
Hy H x  k

TM waves can be supported inside hollow conductors, as

well as between two conductors.
 RECTANGULAR AND CIRCULAR WAVEGUIDES

Hollow WG’s are commonly used as TL’s at frequencies above

5GHz. Compared to coaxial lines; WG’s have the following
advantages:
1) Higher power handling capability
2) Lower loss per unit length
3) A simpler, lower cost mechanical structure
4) The reflections caused by the flanges used in connecting WG
sections is usually less than that associated with coaxial
connectors.

The disadvantages are:

1) Lager cross-sectional dimensions

2) Lower usable bandwidth

A large variety of components such as couplers, detectors, isolators,

attenuators and slotted lines are commercially available for various WG
bands from 1GHz to over 220GHz.

The hollow WG’s can support TM and TE modes but not TEM modes.
 RECTANGULAR WAVEGUIDES

Conventionally, the longer side of the WG is located along the x-axis, so

a b.

TE MODES

Ez  0 by definition and hz satisfies:

 2 2 2
 2   k c  hz  x, y   0 ..........(*)
 x y
2

The complete expression for H z  x, y  is:

H z  x, y, z   hz  x, y  e j z

And kc  k   with k    .
2 2 2 2 2
A Separation of Variables Solution for hz  x, y 

Assume hz  x, y   X ( x)Y ( y)

Substituting this into (*) and dividing each term by XY :

1 d 2 X 1 d 2Y
2
 2
 kc2  0
X dx Y dy

This equation can be satisfied for all x and y only if:

1 d2X 1 d 2Y
2
 k x2  0 2
 k y2  0
X dx Y dy

With:

k x2  k y2  kc2

The general solution for h( x, y) can then is written as:

hz ( x, y)   A cos kx x  B sin k x x   C cos k y y  D sin k y y 

The Boundary Conditions:

We must have:

ex  x, y   0 at y  0 and y  b

ey  x, y   0 at x  0 and x  a

But we had,
 j hz j hz
ex   ey 
kc2 y kc2 x
Therefore it is necessary that:

We must have

hz
 0 at y  0 and y  b
y

hz
 0 at x  0 and x  a
x
Or

 Akx sin kx x  Bkx cos kx x  0 at x  0 and x  a which gives

B  0 for k x  0 and

 Akx sin kx a  0

Which gives,

kx a  m  m  0,1,2,...
Similarly,

Ck y sin k y y  Dk y cos k y y  0 at y  0 and y  b which gives D  0

for k y  0 and

Ck y sin k yb  0

Which gives,
k yb  n  n  0,1,2,...
m n
k
So, x  ky  m  0,1,2,... n  0,1,2,...
a b
Then,

 m   n 
hz  x, y   Amn cos  x  cos  y
 a   b 
And

 m   n   j z
H z  x, y, z   Amn cos  x  cos  y e
 a   b 

Where Amn : Constant depending on the excitation strength.

The other field components are found as:

j  m   n

Ex  nAmn cos  y  e  j z
x  sin 
kc2b  a   b

j  m   n   j z
E y   2 mAmn sin  x  co s  y e
kc a  a   b 
j   m   n   j z
H x  2 mAmn sin  x  cos  y e
kc a  a   b 
j   m   n   j z
Hy  nAmn co s  x  sin  y e
kc2b  a   b 

The propagation constant

  k 2  kc2
  m   n 
2 2

Since k  k  k    
2 2 2
c x y 
 a   b 
1
 2  m 2  n 2  2
  k      
  a   b  

1
 2  m   n  
2 2 2
          
  a   b  

Consider two cases of interest:

A) k  kc

If the frequency f is high enough so that, for a given set of values of a,

b, m and n,
1
 m 2  n 2  2

k     2 f       
 a   b  

then  is real. Real  corresponds to propagation. kc is the cutoff

wavenumber. Each mode has a cutoff frequency f cmn given by:
1
1  m   n  
2 2 2
kc
f cmn       
2  2   a   b  

1
Let v =Phase velocity for an unbounded medium filled with

material having  and  . Then,
1 1
1  m   n   v  m   n  
2 2 2 2 2 2

f cmn             
2   a   b   2  a   b  
The mode with the lowest cutoff frequency is called the dominant
mode.

Since a>b, the lowest f c occurs for m=1 and n=0. So,
1  1 v
f c10   
2  a 2a  2a

TE10 mode is the dominant mode.

Since Ex , E y , H x and H y are all zero for m=n=0, there is no TE00 mode.

B) k  kc
In this case  becomes purely imaginary,

1
 m 2  n 2  2

   j     k 
2
  jq , q is real. Then, the
 a   b  
   j  jq z
term e j z becomes e  e qz which corresponds to the
attenuation of fields exponentially. Such modes are non-
propagating or evanescent. Note that this attenuation is not
associated with the dissipative losses.

The Wave Impedance:

Ex E k
ZTE   y 
Hy Hx 

k    , 

 i) When k  kc f  f c  ,  and ZTE are both real.
ii) When k  kc f  f c  ,  and ZTE are both purely
imaginary.
k k 
ZTE   
10
10  
 
2

1 2
 
1

2 2
 
           
2 2

  a     a  

The guide wavelength:

2
g 


For a propagating mode   k 2  kc2 so   k and

2 2
g   
 k
1
  m   n  
2 2 2

g  2  k 2      
  a   b  

2
Let, c  , , cutoff wavelength. Then,
kc

2 1
g   1
k 2  kc2  k  2  kc  2  2

    
 2   2  

Or,
 1 1 
g   
1    / c 
1 1
 1 1  1  
2 2 2 2

 2  2  1  2 
  c    c 

 v/ f 1
g   v
1    / c  1   fc / f  
2 2 ,

We have the following relationship:

1 1 1
 
g2 c2 2
For the dominant mode:
 2
kc  , c  , so c  2a
a  /a

1 1 1
 
g2 2  2a 
2

The phase velocity:

   1
vp    
 k 2  kc2 k 

1
vp 

 kc
fc 
2 

1  1
v p    2  c2  2


 1   c  
2

 

1

vp 
2
1   c 
f
 f