3/5/2020

Electromagnetics:
Electromagnetic Field Theory

Waves in Lossy Dielectrics

Lecture Outline

• Complex Wave Parameters

• Visualization of EM Waves
• Complex Wave Parameters for Special Cases
• Lossy dielectrics (general case)
• Good dielectrics
• Good conductors

Slide 2

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Complex Wave
Parameters

Slide 3

The Complex Permittivity 𝜀̃
There are two ways to specify the electrical properties of a material:

Complex Permittivity:      j 
Real Permittivity & Conductivity:  and 
The two systems above can be related using Maxwell’s equations.
 
Complex Permittivity:   H  j

E

Real Permittivity & Conductivity:   H  J  j E
 
  E  j E
   j  E
The relation is:

     j      
j  j   E
 j 
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Parameter Values for Various Materials
Complex Permittivity

Conductivity
Material Conductivity 
Copper 5.96 × 107 S/m
Gold 4.10 × 107 S/m
Nickel 1.43 × 107 S/m
Iron 1.00 × 107 S/m
Drinking Water 5 × 10‐3 S/m
Air ~ 10‐10 S/m
Teflon ~ 10‐24 S/m

Slide 5

The Complex Permeability 𝜇
Similarly, the permeability 𝜇 can also be a complex number.

     j  
It is unusual to see complex permeability 𝜇 used in practice.

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The Complex Wave Number 𝑘
A wave travelling in the 𝑧 direction can be written in terms of the complex wave number 𝑘
as  
E  z   Pe  jkz

k  k   jk 

Substituting 𝑘 𝑘 𝑗𝑘 into the wave solution gives

attenuation & oscillation

     
E  z   Pe j  k jk  z  Pe  k z e  jk z

attenuation oscillation

Slide 7

The Complex Propagation Constant, 𝛾
A wave travelling the +z direction can be written in terms of the complex propagation
constant 𝛾 as
 
E  z   Pe  z      j 

Substituting this into the wave solution yields

    z  j z
E  z   E0 e   j  z  E0 e
 
e

attenuation oscillation

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Attenuation Coefficient 
and Phase Constant 
A wave travelling the 𝑧 direction can also be written in terms of an attenuation coefficient 
and a phase constant  and as
   
E  z   E0 e  k z e  jk z E  z   E0 e  z e  j z
   z  j  z    z  j  z
E  z   E0 e e E  z   E0 e e

attenuation oscillation attenuation oscillation

This provides the physical meaning of the real and imaginary parts of the complex wave
number 𝑘 and propagation constant 𝛾 .
k    j      j
   Im  k    Re  
  Re  k    Im  
Slide 9

Physical Meaning of  and 
E0 Attenuation described by  Equation of the Wave
 z
e E  z   E0 e  z e  j  z
E0
1
e
z

Oscillation described by 
e j z  takes on the meaning of the wave
vector we discussed up to this point.
 2
  k0 n

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Calculating  and from 𝜇, 𝜀̃ and 

Given complex permeability 𝜇 and complex permittivity 𝜀̃,
   Im  
 

k    j   
 
  Re  
 


Given real permeability 𝜇, real permittivity 𝜀 and conductivity 𝜎,

    2      j 
 2   2 
 2  j   j 
  j    j   j 
2

 collects all loss information into a

 2   2   j  2     2    j     
2
 
   1     1
single parameter.
2 
    
  collects all phase information into
 a single parameter.
  
2
 
       1  
2 2 2
    1 Both 𝛼 and 𝛽 are a crazy mix of the
2  
2 
    
 fundamental parameters.

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Absorption Coefficient, P
The absorption coefficient P describes how power decays as a function of position.
P  z   P0 e  P z
The attenuation coefficient  was previously defined as how the field amplitude decays as a
function of position.
E  z   E0 e  z e  j  z
Given that P E2, the attenuation coefficient  and absorption coefficient P are related
through

E  z
2
E02
Pz   e 2 z
   P  2

Slide 12

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1D Waves with Complex Wave Number 𝑘
Purely Real k Purely Imaginary k Complex k

• Uniform amplitude • Decaying amplitude • Decaying amplitude

• Oscillations move power • No oscillations, no flow of • Oscillations move power
• Considered to be a power • Considered to be a
propagating wave • Considered to be propagating wave (not
evanescent evanescent)

These are the only 2.5 configurations that electrodynamic fields can take on.

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2D Waves with Complex Wave Vector 𝑘
Real 𝒌𝒙 Imaginary 𝒌𝒙 Complex 𝒌𝒙
𝒌𝒙 𝒌𝒙 𝒌𝒙 𝒋𝒌𝒙 𝒌𝒙 𝒌𝒙 𝒋𝒌𝒙

Real 𝒌𝒚
𝒌𝒚 𝒌𝒚

Imaginary 𝒌𝒚
𝒌𝒚 𝒋𝒌𝒚

Complex 𝒌𝒚
𝒌𝒚 𝒌𝒚 𝒋𝒌𝒚

Slide 14

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Complex Impedance 𝜂
The wave impedance 𝜂 is in general a complex number.
     R0  jX 0
The amplitude/phase form is the most meaningful when substituted into the
expression for the magnetic field component of a wave.
 
 kˆ  P  jk r kˆ  P  j  k r  
H e  e
   affects phase
|| affects magnitude

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Complex Impedance 𝜂 in Terms of 𝜇, 𝜀̃, and 𝜎
Given complex permeability 𝜇 and complex permittivity 𝜀̃,

 


Given real permeability 𝜇, real permittivity 𝜀 and conductivity 𝜎,

  
  
   j 1   j

  1  
    tan 1  
2 14
1      2   
 

𝜂 collects all amplitude and phase information between 𝐸 and 𝐻 into a single parameter.
The complex impedance 𝜂 is a crazy mix of the fundamental parameters.

Slide 16

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Complex Refractive Index 𝑛 (3 of 3)
Recall that k  k0 n . However, 𝑘 is a complex number, so refractive index
must be a complex number as well.
n  no  j
Extinction coefficient, 
Ordinary refractive index, no

The real and imaginary parts of refractive index 𝑛 can be related to the real and
imaginary parts of 𝑘 as well as to  and .
Re  k  

k  k0 n no  
k0 k0
k   jk   k0  no  j 
Im  k  
  j  k0  no  j   
k0 k0
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Complex Refractive Index for Various Materials
Gold Crystalline Silicon (Si)

Copper Amorphous Silicon

http://www.ioffe.ru/SVA/NSM/nk/ Slide 18

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Loss Tangent, tan 𝛿
Sometimes material loss is given in terms of a “loss tangent” tan 𝛿.
  
tan    P  z   P0 e  k0 nz
  
Recall that interpreting wave properties (velocity 𝑣 and loss 𝛼) is not intuitive using just the
complex dielectric function 𝜀̃. In this case, the complex refractive index 𝑛 is preferred.
It turns out that the loss tangent tan 𝛿 and the extinction coefficient 𝜅 are essentially the
same quantity.

2  abs 
It is called a loss tangent because it is the

 
angle in the complex plane formed
between the resistive component  or
n k0 n and the reactive component of
the complex permittivity.

 or  
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Visualization of
EM Waves

Slide 20

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Waves in Materials (1 of 3)
Waves in Vacuum
• 𝐻 is 377× smaller than 𝐸.
E0
0   376.73 
H0

• 𝐸 and 𝐻 are in phase

Im    0

• 𝐸  𝐻
  
H  k P

• Amplitude does not decay

 0

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Waves in Materials (2 of 3)
Waves in Dielectric
• 𝐻 is larger now, but still smaller than 𝐸.
1



• 𝐸 and 𝐻 are still in phase

Im    0

• 𝐸𝐻
  
H  k P

• Amplitude still does not decay

 0

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Waves in Materials (3 of 3)
Waves in Lossy Dielectric
Lossy Dielectric • 𝐻 remains larger, but still smaller than 𝐸 .
1


• 𝐸 and 𝐻 are out of phase!

Im    0

• 𝐸  𝐻
  
H k P

• Amplitude decays

 0

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More Realistic Wave (E Only)
It is important to remember that plane waves
are of infinite extent in the x and y directions.

Slide 24

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More Realistic Wave  𝐸 & 𝐻
It is important to remember that plane waves
are of infinite extent in the x and y directions.

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Complex Wave
Parameters for Special
Cases

Slide 26

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Summary of Waves in Lossy Dielectrics
Condition: This is the general case. All materials have loss.

Fundamental Parameters:  ,   0  r ,    0r   
j

  
2
 
Attenuation Coefficient:    Im  k     1     1
2 
    


  
2
 
Phase Constant:   Re  k     1     1
2 
    


  
Impedance:   
 1   j

  1  
  14   tan 1  
1     2  2   
 
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Summary of Waves in Lossless Dielectrics
Condition:   

Fundamental Parameters:   0,   0 r ,    0 r

Attenuation Coefficient:   0
No attenuation

Phase Constant:    
H is 3× small than E. E and H are in phase
 r
Impedance:    0       0
 r

Notes: • Most commonly analyzed, due to easy math.

• Usually a good approximation for dielectrics.
• Not physically real, except in vacuum. All materials have loss.
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Summary of Waves in Good Conductors
Condition:   

Fundamental Parameters:  ,   0  r ,    0 r


Attenuation Coefficient:     Strong attenuation
2


Phase Constant:    
2
E and H are out of phase.
j    45
Impedance:    
 

Notes: • Very strong attenuation.

• Waves tend to reflect from good conductors so often do not experience the loss.
• 𝐸 leads 𝐻 by 45°.
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