Microwave Engineering

and Antennas

Microwave Networks

Bart Smolders, Professor

Department of Electrical Engineering
Center for Wireless Technology Eindhoven
Microwave Networks

Objective of this lecture

• Introduction of a K-port
microwave network
• Introduction of impedance
matrix and scattering matrix
• Input and output reflection
coefficient of 2-port network
• Discuss example
K-port microwave network

Microwave network

I1 Ik IK

+ - + - + -
V1 Vk VK
Impedance matrix
I1 I2
+ +
V1   Z11 Z12   I1  Two-port

V  =  Z V1 V2
Microwave Network
  
Z 22   I 2  [Z]
 2   21 - -

V1 V1 V2 V2
Z11 = Z12 = Z 21 = Z 22 =
I1 I 2=0
I2 I1=0
I1 I 2=0
I2 I1=0
Admittance matrix
I1 I2
+ +
 I1  Y11 Y12  V1  Two-port

 I  = Y Y  V  V1 V2
Microwave Network
[Y]
 2   21 22   2  - -

I1 I1 I2 I2
Y11 = Y12 = Y21 = Y22 =
V1 V V2 V1=0
V1 V V2 V1=0
2=0 2=0
Impedance/Admittance matrix
Problem at microwave frequencies
• We cannot measure voltages and currents directly!
• We can measure the complex amplitude (amplitude and phase) of the
incident and reflected waves using a vector network analyser (VNA).

Window navigation keys

System keys

Numerical keys and

System setting keys
Scattering matrix
a1 Two-port
a2
Microwave Network
b1 [S] b2

Normalized complex wave amplitudes:

V1+ V2+
a1
= = I1+ Z 0 a2
= = I 2+ Z 0
Z0 Z0
V1− V2−
b1
= = I1− Z 0 b2
= = I 2− Z 0
Z0 Z0
Scattering matrix

 b1   S11 S12   a1  a1 Two-port

a2

b  =  S
Microwave Network
  
S 22   a2 
b1 [S] b2
 2   21

b1 b1 b2 b2
S11 = S12 = S 21 = S 22 =
a1 a2=0
a2 a1=0
a1 a2=0
a2 a1=0
Example: 50 Ohm resistor (lumped element)

50 Ω

a1 a2

b1 b2

Determine [S] matrix of this two-port,

Reference impedance Z= 0 50 Ω
 Example: 50 Ohm resistor
Corrected version: note errors in video
1 50 Ω 2

Zin b1 Z in − Z 0 1
50 Ω S11 =
= =
a1 a =0 Z in + Z 0 Z= 100 Ω
3
2 in

1 −
V2
I 1 50 Ω 2 b2 Z0 2V2−
=S21 = =
a1 a ,Γ =0 1 (V1 + Z 0 I ) V = V + Z I
50 Ω 2 s (V1 + Z 0 I ) S 1 0
V1 V2 50 Ω 2 Z0 V + =0
+ 2

VS
2V2− 2 ⋅ 50 2 𝑉𝑉2− = 𝑉𝑉2
-
= = =
VS 50 + 2 ⋅ 50 3 Since 𝑉𝑉2+ = 0
Example: 50 Ohm resistor
50 Ω

50 Ω a1 a2
50 Ω
+ b1 b2
VS
-

1 2
 S11 S12   3 3
=[ S ] =   
 S 21 S22   2 1
 3 3 
Two-port microwave network
Γin Forward Gain (|S21|2) Γout

ZS a1 a2
Two-port
ZL
+ b1 Microwave Network b2
VS
-

ΓS Reverse Gain (|S12|2) ΓL

b1
= S11a1 + S12 a2
b2
= S 21a1 + S 22 a2 Three equations provide a
relation between b1 and a1
a2 Z L − Z0
ΓL = =
b2 Z L + Z0
Two-port microwave network
Γin Forward Gain (|S21|2) Γout

ZS a1 a2
Two-port
ZL
+ b1 Microwave Network b2
VS
-

ΓS Reverse Gain (|S12|2) ΓL

b1 S12 S 21
Γ in = = S11 + , Γ in = S11 Input Reflection coefficient
a1 1 Γ L −> 0
− S 22
ΓL
b2 S12 S 21
Γ out = = S 22 + , Γ out = S 22 Output Reflection coefficient
a2 1 Γ S −> 0
− S11
ΓS
Summary
• Microwave networks
• Impedance and Admittance matrix
• Scattering matrix
• Example of a 50 Ohm lumped resistor
• Input/output reflection
• Forward/reverse gain