Receiving Antennas Page 1

Receiving Antennas
So far, we have been examining the properties of antennas when they are transmitting signals
but have not spoken much of what happens when they received signals. For example, what is the
receiving pattern of an antenna? How do we predict the voltage produced across the terminals of
a receiving antenna? We aim to answer such questions next.

1 Equivalent Circuit Model of a Radio Link

To study the behaviour of a receiving antenna, we will consider a link consisting of two antennas:
one transmitting and one receiving. We wish to understand the behaviour of such a system. Since
an antenna is a one-port device, the analysis is facilitated by considering the system of antennas
to be a 2-port “black box” with unknown internal characteristics (for now).

Recall from circuit theory than an unknown “black box” with two ports is fully characterized if
we know the terminal voltage (V1 , V2 ) and currents (I1 , I2 ) of the device. These quantities are
related through

V1 = Z11 I1 + Z12 I2 (1)

V2 = Z21 I1 + Z22 I2 , (2)

or simply,
[V ] = [Z][I], (3)
where [Z] is the impedance matrix of the two-port network. Z11 and Z22 are called self-impedances
of the system while Z12 and Z21 are called mutual impedances of the network. Each of the
impedances can be found through open-circuiting ports of the network, such that

Vm 
Zmn = (4)
In Ik =0 for k6=n

for an arbitrary network.

Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems

Receiving Antennas Page 2

Note that the input impedance seen looking into one port is a function of the loading on the
second antenna. For example, the input impedance seen looking into port 1 is
V1 Z11 I1 + Z12 I2 Z12 I2
Z1 = = = Z11 + . (5)
I1 I1 I1
Hence, the current flowing on antenna 2 does influence the input impedance seen looking into
antenna 1. However, if antenna 2 is placed very far away, the influence of the second antenna
should be negligible (Z12 ≈ 0), yielding Z1 ≈ Z11 , the self-impedance of antenna 1.
We are most concerned with the mutual impedance terms of our circuit model, since they describe
the coupling between antenna 1 and antenna 2 (and vice versa, if antenna 2 was connected to the
source). But first, we must consider a very important theorem that describes the behaviour of
the system we have described when the antennas are immersed in a homogeneous, linear, passive,
and isotropic medium (like free space).

2 Reciprocity
One of the most important electromagnetic concepts is that of reciprocity, which is the behaviour
of an electromagnetic system in a simple medium. Consider the situation shown below, where we
have a volume containing to sources, J 1 and J 2 , which each produce fields E 1 , H 1 and E 2 , H 2 ,
respectively, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Volume containing two electric sources

Mathematically, reciprocity was developed by Lorentz1 but a useful form of that theorem for our
purposes states that ˚ ˚
0
J 1 · E 2 dv = J 2 · E 1 dv 0 . (6)
V V

Now consider the two-antenna (two-source) problem we considered originally, but the antennas
located a large distance apart such that the assumptions above hold. Let’s say the two antennas
are ideal dipole antennas, driven by ideal current generators (with infinite source impedances).
Thinking of the structure of the antenna, E 2 , the field produced at antenna 1 by antenna 2
(source J 2 ) only has a nonzero projection with J 1 across the antenna terminals, since J 1 is only
nonzero along the conducting part of the antenna, and E 2 is only nonzero across the gap because
1
See the note on the Reciprocity Theorem for more details.

Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems

Receiving Antennas Page 3

of PEC boundary conditions. If we assume that the current J 1 can be represented as a linear
current (existing only over a contour instead of a volume) and furthermore the current is uniform
across the gap, ˚ ˆ ˆ
E2 · J 1 = E2 I1 d` = I1 E2 d` = −V1oc I1 , (7)
V C C
where V1oc
is the open-circuited voltage produced at antenna 1 as a result of the incident field
produced by antenna 2 (E 2 ). Similarly, at antenna 2,
˚
E1 · J 2 = −V2oc I2 (8)
V

According to the Reciprocity Theorem (6), equations (7) and (8) must be equal:

V1oc I1 = V2oc I2 (9)

or
V1oc V oc
= 2 . (10)
I2 I1
From our equivalent circuit model of a two-antenna link, we know that
V2oc

V2 
Z21 = = (11)
I1 I2 =0 I1

and
V1oc

V1 
Z12 = = , (12)
I2 I1 =0 I2
therefore,
Z12 = Z21 . (13)
This is the fundamental definition of a reciprocal two-port circuit, because we see that if we excite
port 1 with a current source of amplitude I, the open circuit-voltage at port 2 is Z21 I while if we
flip the current source to port 2, the open-circuit voltage at port 1 is Z12 I = Z21 I which is the
same result as with the current source at port 1. That is, if we drive port 1 with an ideal current
source having amplitude I, the open circuit voltage at port 2 is

V2oc = Z21 I. (14)

If we flip the current source to port 2, then the open circuit voltage at port 1 is

V1oc = Z12 I. (15)

Hence, in a reciprocal system, both cases should produce the same open-circuit voltage, regardless
of which antenna is transmitting and which is receiving.
The consequence of this on antennas is found as follows. Consider an experiment where we
measure the transmit pattern of antenna (1), using a second receiving antenna (2) moving about
a circle of fixed radius about the transmitting antenna while remaining co-polarized with the
transmission, as shown in Figure 2.
Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems
Receiving Antennas Page 4

Figure 2: Antenna 1 transmits, antenna 2 receives

If we measure the open-circuit voltage at antenna 2, we know it is equal to

V2oc (θ) = Z21 (θ)I. (16)

Now consider a second experiment where antenna (2) is used as the transmitter and antenna (1)
as the receiver, as shown in Figure 3. Antenna (2) moves in an identical manner as the first
experiment, while this time we measure the open-circuit voltage at the terminals of antenna 1,
which is equal to
V1oc (θ) = Z12 (θ)I = Z21 (θ)I. (17)
Hence we see the “open-circuit voltage” pattern measured by both experiments is identical.
Therefore, we conclude that the transmit and receive patterns of an antenna are the
same.

3 Vector Effective Length

A receiving antenna is used to collect electromagnetic waves and extract power from them. The
concept of the effective length of an antenna is used to determine the voltage induced on the
open-circuited terminals of the antenna when a wave impinges on it. This effective length is a
vector quantity and is defined as
`eff (θ, φ) = `θ (θ, φ) θ̂ + `φ (θ, φ) φ̂. (18)
It is related to the far-zone electric field radiated by the antenna through
jωµI e−jkr
E rad = − `eff (θ, φ). (19)
4π r
In general, for a transmitting antenna, vector effective length can be defined as follows:
Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems
Receiving Antennas Page 5

Figure 3: Antenna 2 transmits, antenna 1 receives

The vector effective length of an antenna is the length and orientation of a uniform
current required to produce the same electric field as the antenna under consideration.

If the antenna is receiving, the open-circuit voltage developed across the antenna terminals is

V oc = E i · `eff (note units are correct) (20)

We note that the complex conjugate is used to change the reference direction for the receiver (this
only applies to antennas with complex vector lengths: those with elliptical or circular polarization).
When `eff and E i are linearly polarized, `eff can be thought of as the vector length of a linear
antenna that the open circuit voltage is being induced into by E i .
The radiated electric field of an ideal dipole oriented along the z-axis is, as we know,

jωµI∆z e−jkr
E= sin θ θ̂. (21)
4π r
Comparing Equations (21) and (19),

`eff = −∆z sin θ θ̂ (22)

−jkr
produces E = jωµI∆z
4π
e
r
sin θ θ̂. Hence, Equation (22) represents the vector effective length of
an ideal dipole oriented along the z-axis.

Example: Half-wave dipole along the z-axis.

Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems

Receiving Antennas Page 6

2I e−jkr cos( π2 cos θ)

E = jωµ θ̂
4πk r sin θ
jµωI e−jkr 2 cos( π2 cos θ)

= θ̂
4π r k sin θ
λ cos( π2 cos θ)
⇒ `eff = − θ̂.
π sin θ
Comparing the maximum effective length of a λ/2 dipole to that of an ideal dipole (i.e. for
θ = 90◦ ), we find that
|`eff ,λ/2 | λ 2λ
= = ,
`eff ,ideal π π2
indicating that the effective length of a half-wave dipole corresponds to only (2/π = 63.7%) of
its actual length (in contrast to an ideal dipole having `eff = ∆`).

Example: What is the induced voltage in an ideal dipole along the z-axis if the incident electric
field is that of a plane wave travelling such that its k-vector makes an angle θ with the z-axis,
and E-field is contained in the yz-plane and points towards the +z axis?

V oc = E i · `eff
= (−Eθ θ̂ + Eφφ̂) · (−∆z sin θ) θ̂


= Eθ ∆z sin θ

We note the sign of V oc is correct with respect to terminal conventions.

Example: What is the open circuit voltage magnitude developed at an ideal dipole that is
perfectly aligned with the incident field, and aligned for maximum output?
oc
Vmax = max(|E i · `eff |)
= max(E i `eff )
= E i ∆` max(sin θ)
= E i ∆`

Hence, for a perfectly aligned ideal dipole the terminal voltage is simply the product of the incident
electric field along the physical length of the antenna. This is only true for ideal dipoles; hence,
we could define vector effective length as the length of an ideal dipole that relates the open circuit
voltage and incident field through this simple relationship.
We will use this result in the derivation of the relationship between an antenna’s effective area
and its gain.
To conclude, the concept of the vector effective length of an antenna is useful for two things:
Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems
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1. It allows us to relate an incident electric field on any antenna to the open-circuit voltage
developed at its terminals; and

2. It is a useful tool in determining the effect of polarization mismatch between the incident
field and the antenna, which will be discussed later in the course.

Prof. Sean Victor Hum Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems