Transmission lines and waveguides are used to transport electromagnetic energy at microwave

frequencies from one point in a system to another. The desirable features of a transmission line
or waveguide are:
• Single-mode propagation over a wide band of frequencies & small attenuation
The transmission line structures of primary interest for this course are those for which the
dominant mode of propagation is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) wave
• Recall that for TEM waves the components of electric and magnetic fields in the direction of
wave propagation are zero
• We wish to consider transmission lines which consist of two or more parallel conductors which
have axial uniformity
• That is to say their cross-sectional shape and electrical properties do not vary along the axis of
propagation
 Waveguiding Structures
A wave guiding structure is one that carries a signal
(or power) from one point to another.

There are three common types:

 Transmission lines
 Fiber-optic guides
 Waveguides

2
 Transmission Line
Properties
 Has two conductors running parallel
 Can propagate a signal at any frequency (in theory)
 Becomes lossy at high frequency
 Can handle low or moderate amounts of power
 Does not have signal distortion, unless there is loss
 May or may not be immune to interference
 Does not have Ez or Hz components of the fields (TEMz)

Twin lead
Coaxial cable (coax) (shown connected to a 4:1
impedance-transforming balun)
3
 Transmission Line
Properties
 Has two conductors running parallel
 Can propagate a signal at any frequency (in theory)
 Becomes lossy at high frequency
 Can handle low or moderate amounts of power
 Does not have signal distortion, unless there is loss
 May or may not be immune to interference
 Does not have Ez or Hz components of the fields (TEMz)

Twin lead
Coaxial cable (coax) (shown connected to a 4:1
impedance-transforming balun)
4
 Transmission Line (cont.)

CAT 5 cable
(twisted pair)

The two wires of the transmission line are twisted to reduce interference and
radiation from discontinuities.

5
 Transmission Line (cont.)
Transmission lines commonly met on printed-circuit boards

w
er
h
er h w

Microstrip Stripline

w w w

er h er h

Coplanar strips Coplanar waveguide (CPW)

6
 Transmission Line
2 conductors

4 per-unit-length parameters:

C = capacitance/length [F/m]
L = inductance/length [H/m]
R = resistance/length [/m] Dz
G = conductance/length [ /m or S/m]

7
 Transmission Line (cont.)
i(z,t) RDz L Dz i(z+z,t)

+ +

v(z,t) GDz CDz v(z+z,t)

- -
z

Using KVL & KCL

i ( z, t )
v( z, t )  v( z  z , t )  i ( z , t ) Rz  Lz
t
v( z  z , t )
i ( z, t )  i ( z  z , t )  v( z  z , t ) G z  C z
t
9
 TEM Transmission Line (cont.)
Hence

v ( z  z , t )  v ( z , t ) i ( z , t )
  Ri ( z, t )  L
z t
i ( z  z , t )  i ( z , t ) v ( z  z , t )
 Gv( z  z , t )  C
z t

Now let Dz  0:

v i
  Ri  L
z t “Telegrapher’s

i v Equations”
  Gv  C
z t
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 TEM Transmission Line (cont.)
To combine these, take the derivative of the first one with
respect to z:

v2
i   i 
 R  L  
z 2
z z  t  Switch the
order of the
i   i  derivatives.
 R  L  
z t  z 
 v 
  R  Gv  C 
 t 
 v  v 2

 L  G  C
 t t  2

11
 TEM Transmission Line (cont.)

v
2
 v   v  v 2

  R  Gv  C   L  G  C
z 2
 t   t t  2

Hence, we have:

v
2
v  v
2

  RG  v  ( RC  LG )  LC  0
z 2
t  t 
2

The same equation also holds for i.

12
 TEM Transmission Line (cont.)
dV2

  RG  V  j ( RC  LG )V    LC  V 2

dz 2

Note that

RG  j ( RC  LG )   LC  ( R  j L)(G  j C )
2

Z  R  j L = series impedance/length

Y  G  jC = parallel admittance/length

dV
2

Then we can write:  ( ZY )V

dz 2

13
 TEM Transmission Line (cont.)

  ZY dV
2

 ( )V
2 2
Let Then
dz 2

Solution: V ( z )  Ae  Be
 z  z

 is called the "propagation constant."

   ( R  j L)(G  jC )
1/ 2
Convention:
z z e j / 2
 principal square root
    

    j   attenuation contant
  0,   0   phase constant
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 Phase Velocity (cont.)

Set t   z  constant
dz
 0
dt
dz 

dt 

 In expanded form:
Hence v  

p
v 
Im   ( R  j L)(G  jC )  
p 1/ 2

15
 Characteristic Impedance Z0
I+ (z)
+
V+(z)
- z

A wave is traveling in the positive z direction.

V  ( z)
Z0  
I ( z)


V0

V ( z )  V0 e   z so Z0  
I0
I  ( z )  I 0  e  z
(Z0 is a number, not a function of z.)
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 Characteristic Impedance Z0 (cont.)

Use Telegrapher’s Equation:

v i
  Ri  L
z t

dV
so   RI  j LI
dz
  ZI

Hence  V0  e  z   ZI 0  e  z

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 Characteristic Impedance Z0 (cont.)
1/2
V0 Z  Z 
From this we have: Z0      
I0  Y 

Using
Z  R  j L
Y  G  jC

1/2
We have  R  j L 
Z0   
 G  j C 

Note: The principal branch of the square root is chosen, so that Re (Z0) > 0.
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 General Case (Waves in Both Directions)
V  z   V0 e  z  V0 e   z
j   z  j  z j 
V e e0

e  V e e  z e  j  z
0


wave in +z
direction wave in -z
Note: direction

v  z , t   Re  V  z  e jt 
 V0 e  z cos  t   z    
 V0 e  z cos  t   z    

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 Backward-Traveling Wave
I - (z)
+
V -(z)
- z

A wave is traveling in the negative z direction.

V  ( z) V  ( z)

 Z0 so  Z0
I ( z) 
I ( z)

Note: The reference directions for voltage and current are the same as
for the forward wave.

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 General Case
I (z)
+
V (z)
- z

Most general case: A general superposition of forward and backward

traveling waves:

V ( z )  V0  e  z  V0  e  z Note: The reference

directions for voltage
1 and current are the
I ( z)  V0  e  z  V0  e   z  same for forward and
Z0 backward waves.

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 Summary of Basic TL formulas
I(z)
+ V(z)
-
z
V  z  V e
0
  z   z
V e
0

V0  z V0   z
I  z  e  e
Z0 Z0 guided wavelength  g
1
    j    R  j L   G  jC   2
2
g   m
 R  j L 
1
2 
Z0   
 G  j C 
phase velocity  vp

vp  [m/s]

22
 Lossless Case
R  0, G  0

    j    ( R  j L)(G  j C ) 
1/ 2

 j LC

 0 
so vp 
   LC 

1/2
 R  j L  L 1
Z0    Z0  vp 
 G  jC  C LC
(real and indep. of freq.) (indep. of freq.)
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 Lossless Case (cont.)
1
vp 
LC
In the medium between the two conductors is homogeneous (uniform)
and is characterized by (, ), then we have that

LC   (proof given later)

1
The speed of light in a dielectric medium is cd 


Hence, we have that v p  cd

The phase velocity does not depend on the frequency, and it is always the
speed of light (in the material).
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