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Waveguides (1)
Waveguides are an efficient means of transmitting microwaves. They can be hollow or filled with dielectric or other material. The cross section can be of any shape, but rectangular and circular are most common. First, we examine propagation in a rectangular waveguide of dimension a by b.
y

b
z

  Waves propagate in the z direction: E ( z ), H ( z ) ~ e jz . First separate Maxwells equations into cartesian components ( , refer to the material inside of the waveguide) E z + jE y = jH x y   E z jE x = jH y E = jH x E y E x = jH z x y
x

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Waveguides (2)
H z + jH y = jE x y   H z jH x = jE y H = jE x H y H x = jE z x y

Rearranging
Ex = H z E z + 2 2 x y E z H z j + Ey = 2 2 y x j H z E z 2 2 y x H z j E z + Hy = 2 2 x y Hx = j

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Waveguides (3)
The wave equations are:
  2 E = E   2 H = 2 H
2

Note that =
2

x 2 y 2 z 2 the z components of the fields are

and

2 z 2

= ( j )2 = 2 and the wave equations for

2 2 E z = 2 2 E z + x 2 y 2 2 2 H z = 2 2 H z + x 2 y 2

( (

) )

TEM waves do not exist in hollow rectangular waveguides. The wave equations must be solved subject to the boundary conditions at the waveguide walls. We consider two types of solutions for the wave equations: (1) transverse electric (TE) and (2) transverse magnetic (TM).

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Waveguides (4)
 Transverse magnetic (TM) waves: H z = 0 and thus H is transverse to the z axis. All field components can be determined from E z . The general solution to the wave equation is E z ( x, y , z ) = E z ( x, y )e jz = E z ( x ) E z ( y )e jz = ( A cos( x x ) + B sin ( x x ))(C cos( y y ) + D sin ( y y ))e jz
where A, B, C, and D are constants. The boundary conditions must be satisfied: x =0 A=0 E z = 0 at y = 0 C = 0 Choose x and y to satisfy the remaining conditions. E z = 0 at x = a : sin( x a ) = 0 x a = m

E z = 0 at y = b : sin( x b ) = 0 y b = n

m ( m = 1,2,) a n y = ( n = 1,2, ) b x =
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Waveguides (5)
For TM waves the longitudinal component of the electric field for a +z traveling wave is given by m n jz x sin y e E z ( x, y , z ) = U sin a b
where the product of the constants AB has been replaced by a new constant U . Each solution (i.e., combination of m and n) is called a mode. Now insert E z back in the wave equation to obtain a separation equation:
m n = a b
2 2 2 2

If 2 > 0 then propagation occurs; 2 = 0 defines a cuttoff frequency, f cmn ,

f c mn

1 m n = + 2 a b

Waves whose frequencies are above the cutoff frequency for a mode will propagate, but those below the cutoff frequency are attenuated.
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Waveguides (6)
 Transverse electric (TE) waves: E z = 0 and thus E is transverse to the z axis. All field components can be determined from H z . The general solution to the wave equation is
H z ( x, y , z ) = H z ( x, y )e jz = H z ( x ) H z ( y )e jz = ( A cos( x x ) + B sin ( x x ))(C cos( y y ) + D sin ( y y ))e jz H z H z n m x . ~ cos ~ cos y and E y x y a b Boundary conditions: E x = 0 at y = 0 D = 0 E y = 0 at x = 0 B = 0 n E x = 0 at y = b y = , n = 0,1, b m E y = 0 at x = a x = , m = 0,1, a m n jz Therefore, y e ( m = n = 0 not allowed) x cos H z ( x, y , z ) = V cos b a

But, from Maxwells equations, E x

The same equation for cutoff frequency holds for both TE and TM waves.
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Waveguides (7)
Other important relationships: Phase velocity for mode (m,n), u p =
1 f c mn / f

where u = 1 / is the phase

velocity in an unbounded medium of the material which fills the waveguide. Note the the phase velocity in the waveguide is larger than in the unbounded medium (and can be greater than c). Group velocity for mode (m,n), u g = u 1 f c mn / f

)2 .

This is the velocity of energy

(information) transport and is less than the velocity in the unbounded medium. Wave impedance for mode (m,n), Z TE mn = 1 f c mn / f 2

Z TM mn = 1 f c mn / f

)2

where = / is the wave impedance in the unbounded medium. = 1 f c mn / f 2 Phase constant for mode (m,n), mn = up u

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Waveguides (8)
Guide wavelength for mode (m,n), g mn = wavelength in the unbounded medium. The dominant mode is the one with the lowest cutoff frequency. For rectangular waveguides with a > b the TE10 mode is dominant. If a mode shares a cutoff frequency with another mode(s), then it is degenerate. For example, TE11 and TM 11 are degenerate modes. Example: If the following field exists in a rectangular waveguide what mode is propagating? 2 j 2 z E z = 5 sin x sin y e a b Since E z 0 it must be a TM mode. Compare it with the general form of a TM mode field and deduce that m=2 and n=1. Therefore, it is the TM 21 mode.
1 f c mn / f

where is the

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Waveguides (9)
Example: What is the lowest frequency that will readily propagate through a tunnel with a rectangular cross section of dimension 10m by 5m? If the walls are good conductors, we can consider the tunnel to be a waveguide. The lowest frequency will be that of the dominant mode, which is the TE10 mode. Assume that the tunnel is filled with air 1 c 1 f c10 = = 15 MHz = 2 o o a 2(10) Example: Find the five lowest cutoff frequencies for an air-filled waveguide with a=2.29 cm and b=1.02 cm.
f c mn 1 = 2

m n + 0 . 029 0 . 0102

Use Matlab to generate cutoff frequencies by looping through m and n. Choose the five lowest. Note that when both m,n > 1 then both TE and TM modes must be listed. (The frequencies are listed in GHz.) TE 01 (14.71), TE10 (6.55), TE11 and TM 11 (16.10), TE 20 (13.10)
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Waveguides (10)
Example: Find the field parameters for a TE10 mode, f=10 GHz, a=1.5 cm, b=0.6 cm, filled with dielectric, r = 2.25 . Phase velocity in the unbounded medium, u = c / 2.25 = 3 108 / 1.5 = 2 108 m/s Wavelength in the unbounded medium, = u / f = 2 108 / 1 1010 = 0.02 m c / 2.25 Cutoff frequency, f c10 = u /(2a ) = = 0.67 1010 Hz ( 2)(0.015) 2f 1 f c mn / f 2 = Phase constant, 10 = 1 (0.067 / 1)2 = 74.5 radians u c / 2.25

Guide wavelength, g =

1 f c mn / f

0.745

)2

0.02 = 0.0268 m 0.745

Phase velocity, u p = u / 0.745 = 2 108 / 0.745 = 2.68 108 m/s Wave impedance, Z TE10 =
1 f c mn / f

)2

o / 2.25 (377) = = 337.4 ohms 0.745 (0.745)(1.5)

Group velocity, u g = 0.745u = ( 2 108 )(0.745) = 1.49 108 m/s

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Mode Patterns in Rectangular Waveguide

From C.S. Lee, S. W. Lee, and L. L. Chuang, Plot of Modal Field Distribution in Rectangular and Circular Waveguides, IEEE Trans. on MTT, 1985.

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Table of Waveguide Formulas

QUANTITY WAVE IMPEDANCE, Z TEM ( Ez = Hz = 0 )

ZTEM = =

GENERAL: ZTM = j f > f c: 1 ( f c / f )2 jh f < f c: 1 ( f / f c )2

GENERAL: f > f c: f < f c: GENERAL: f > f c: f < f c: h 1 ( f c / f )2 j = jk 1 ( f c / f )2

TM ( Hz = 0 )

TE ( Ez = 0 )
GENERAL: f > f c: f < f c:
GENERAL: f > f c: f < f c: GENERAL: f > f c: f < f c:

ZTE

1 ( f c / f )2 j h 1 ( f / f c )2
h 1 ( f c / f )2 j = jk 1 ( f c / f )2

PROPAGATION CONSTANT,

jk = j

PHASE VELOCITY, u p VECTOR FIELD RELATIONSHIP

u=
 H=

1 1

= h 1 ( f / f c )2 / u
1 ( f c / f )2 NO PROPAGATION

= h 1 ( f / f c )2 / u
1 ( f c / f )2 NO PROPAGATION

ZTEM

 E k

 ET = 2 T Ez h   1 E z H= ZTM
2 2

 HT = 2 T Hz h   E = ZTE z H

Cutoff frequency: f c = 2

Propagation constant: = h k
2 2

Transverse Laplacian:

2 T

2 2 = 2+ 2 x y

n m + For a rectangular waveguide ( a by b ): h = a b

Guide wavelength: g =

1 ( f c / f )2
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