MICROWAVE ENGINEERING

Course Outline (a.a. 2012/2013):

1) Introduction to Microwave Systems
2) Waveguides and Resonators
3) Microwave Network Analysis (S-Parameter Analysis)
4) Periodic Structures and Filters
5) Passive Microwave Devices
Teacher: Costantino De Angelis (deangeli@ing.unibs.it)
Slides available: http://nora.ing.unibs.it
Textbooks:
D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, Wiley, 2012.
C. G. Someda, Electromagnetic waves, CRC Press, 2006.

MICROWAVES AND MILLIMETER WAVES

Operating frequency here is in between f=300 MHz and f=300 GHz (i.e. wavelength in between
=1 m and =1 mm).
The wavelength is of the same order of magnitude as the circuit elements; it follows that we can not
make use of the lumped element approach (summarized into Kirchhoff laws).
We need here to resort to the solution of the full electromagnetic problem described by Maxwell
equations.
FREQUENCY f (Hz)

103

10

Visible light

MICROWAVES

31013 31014

Infrared

VHF TV
FM radio

10 2

31011
Far infrared

3107 3108

AM radio

3105

10 1 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 6

WAVELENGTH (m)

Microwave applications
Since most constraints are on the fractional bandwidth, the higher the
carrier, the bigger the available frequency bandwidth.

The antenna gain increases with increasing frequency.

2
Aeff G
4

2
EFFECTIVE AREA=GAIN
4

Microwaves can be focused in beams with limited angular aperture, thus

increasing the directivity in a point to point radio link and the achievable
resolution in a radar.

z
w z w0 1 2
w0

w02
z

w2 2
R z z 1 0
z

w0

Angular aperture of
a gaussian beam

Example of a microwave antenna: the horn

H

Magnetic field distribution

on the output aperture
The horn is feeded by means of a single mode
rectangular waveguide (only the TE10 mode is above
cut off).

y
E
E

H
x

Electric field distribution

on the output aperture

 Wavelengths below 1 meter are not reflected by the ionosphere: we can use them for
satellite communicaton
Due to solar radiation, we find ions in the ionosphere: the ionosphere thus behaves like
a plasma with a plasma frequency determined by a density N of ions.

Plasma permittivity
(neglecting damping)

p2
e 0 1 2

Nq 2
p
m 0
q Electron charge
m Electron mass

Lossless propagation in the plasma is possible only for:

Frequencies below 8 MHz are reflected by the ionosphere.

Attenuation level in the atmosphere: frequency dependence

Radiometer f=55 GHz

Radiometer f=20 GHz

Radar
f=35 GHz

Radar=135 GHz

Below 10 GHz the attenuation can be considered negligible

Frequency Bands

Designation

Typical service

3-30 kHz

VLF

Navigation

Very Low Frequency

30-300 kHz

LF

Radio beacons

Low Frequency

300-3000 kHz

MF

AM transmission

Medium Frequency

3-30 MHz

HF

Citizens band

High Frequency

30-300 MHz

VHF
Very High Frequency

300-3000 MHz

UHF
Ultra High Frequency

3-30 GHz
30-300 GHz

FM transmission
Television
Television
Satellite communications
Wi-Fi
Radar

Super High Frequency

Satellite communications
Radar

EHF

Radar

SHF

Extreme High Frequency

Some examples
Television (VHF) 50-88 MHz
Television (UHF) 470-890 MHz
Mobile Communications: GSM 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz
Mobile Communications: AMPS 824-894 MHz
Mobile Communications: UMTS
1885-2025 MHz, 2110-2200 MHZ
GPS (Global Positioning System) 1575.42 MHz and 1227.60 MHz
Bluetooth 2.4 GHz
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) 902-928 MHz,
2.4-2.484 GHz, 5.725-5.850 GHz
DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) 11.7-12.5 GHz
Radar (Air Traffic Control) 1-2 GHz
Short range Radar: 2-4 GHz, 27-40 GHz
Radar for weather forecast 4-8 GHz
US Ultra Wide Band (UWB) 3.1-10.6 GHz
US Industrial, Scientific and Medical bands (ISM):
902-928 MHz, 2.400-2.484 GHz, 5.725-5.850 GHz

IEEE, ITU designation in the 1-40 GHz frequency band

Frequency Band
(GHz)

Wavelength (cm)

Designation

1-2

30-15

2-4

15-7.5

4-8

7.5-3.75

8-12.4

3.75-2.4

12.4-18

2.4-1.67

Ku

18-26.5

1.67-1.13

26.5-40

1.13-0.75

Ka

40-300

0.75-0.1

Millimeter waves

Superheterodyne Radio Receiver

antenna
RF amp

fRF

mixer

Pass band
filter

BPF

demodulator

fIF

fOL
OL

IF amp

Local oscillator
Tuning is achieved by
varying

fOL

Cables, waveguides, connectors.

Filters, isolators.
Active devices: amplifiers, oscillators, mixers.

signal

RADAR: Radio Detection and Ranging

The source (the transmitter) sends a signal which is partially reflected by the target
located in the far field region; the reflected signal is sensed by a receiver.
We can thus measure the distance of the target by computing the time of flight (the
time needed for the electromagnetic signal to travel from the transmitter to the target
and back to the receiver).
For big enough antenna directivities (small enough angular aperture of the main
lobe) also the angular position of the target can be measured accurately.
In monostatic radars the same antenna is used to transmit and to receive.
In bistatic radars two different antennas are used to transmit and to receive.

Local
oscillator

1
OL

antenna
gain G

C
3
riceiver

TARGET

R
Circulator: the power goes
from port 1 to port 2
from port 2 to port 3
ports 1 and 3 are perfectly isolated

Power level at the receiver in a monostatic RADAR

PS

PT
Transmitted power

PR

Back scattered power

Received power
2

Friis formula
(radio-link with two antennas)

Intensity at the target

location

S IN

PT
G
4 R 2

PR GR GT
PT
4 R

Radar cross section

PS

S IN

The target is equivalent to a transmitting antenna radiating backward. The power received by
the monostatic radar is thus:

2
PT
1 G 2 2
PR Aeff S R G G
P PR

3 4 T
2
2
4
4 R 4 R 4 R

Radar
equation

PULSED RADAR
switch

antenna

mixer

f IF
Power
amplifier

f0

transmitter
riceiver

LNA

mixer
output stage
Pulse duration

Frequency repetition rate

Generated
pulses

fR

TR
Transmitted
signal
eco del target

Riceived
signal

1 TR
0.1 100 kHz

Position
of the
target

t c
R
2

CW DOPPLER RADAR

f0

Moving target
(velocity v )

circulator

f0
f0 f d

f0
mixer

fd
output stage
pass-band filter
The phase of the reflected signal is:

2 f 0 t

If the target is moving away with velocity

2 2 R

v 2 f 0 t

The frequency of the received

signal shifts (Doppler shift )

4 R vt

1
2v
f0 fd
f0
f0
2 t
c

RADAR CROSS-SECTION (RCS): depends on the nature and

shape of the object

PS

S IN

As a simple example let us consider the cross section of a metal sphere of radius
Rayleigh region

Optical region

a2

a2
The oscillatory behaviour is due to
the phase difference among
different reflected components

2 a