Ch-2

Microwave Propagation
and Components
- H. D. Shukla
Objective
 Waveguides: Wave propagation through guided
medium, reflections of waves
 Rectangular waveguide : structure , cut off wavelength ,
group and phase velocities, characteristic wave
impedance , TE ,TM modes , field patterns , examples, S
Parameters basics
 Circular waveguide: structure, cut off wavelength,
modes, examples, comparison with rectangular
waveguide
 Microwave Components: Tees, hybrid ring , directional
coupler , Duplexer , isolator , circulator , cavity
resonators
 Microwave Accessories: corners and bends , twist and
taper
Waveguides

 At frequencies higher than 3 GHz, transmission of

electromagnetic energy along the transmission lines and
cables becomes difficult.
 Above frequency we can transmit through transmission
line with some impedance matching circuit above that
its difficult to transmit through transmission line.
 Where as transmission of energy in TE and TM modes can
be achieved by use of hollow conducting tubes known
as Wave Guides.
 A metallic tube can be used to transmit
electromagnetic wave at the above frequencies.
(TE mode – Transverse Electric Mode,
TM mode – Transverse Magnetic Mode)
Why we can not transmit TEM (Transverse
Electromagnetic Mode) through waveguide ?
 We can not transmit TEM wave through hollow tube type wave
guide because TEW wave which has the electric field, the magnetic
field and the direction of propagation naturally perpendicular, can
not possible propagate within a single conductor hollow
waveguide.
 This is because the electric field would be short circuited by the
walls since the walls are prefect conductors and hence no potential
can exist across them.
Types of Waveguides
 We use any types of wave guides but irregular waveguides shapes
are difficult to analysis. So, in most of the field we use rectangular
and circular type of waveguides. Because they are easier to
manufacture and their properties are uniform and easier to
calculate.
 We can transmit TE and TM type of wave through these type of
wave guides.
Waveguides…
 Waveguides may be used to carry energy between pieces of
equipment or over longer distances to carry transmitter power
to an antenna or microwave signals from an antenna to a
receiver

 Waveguides are made from copper, aluminum or brass.

These metals are molded into long rectangular or circular
pipes.

 An electromagnetic energy to be carried by a waveguide is

injected into one end of the waveguide.

 The electric and magnetic fields associated with the signal

bounce off the inside walls back and forth as it progresses
down the waveguide.
Wave Propagation Through Guided
Media.
 When a probe launches energy into the waveguide, the
electromagnetic fields bounce off the side walls of the
waveguide as shown in below figure.

Angle of incidence(A) Angle of reflection (B)

(A = B)
Reflection of Waves

 The wave travels in zigzag form (bounce back from other

surface of wave guide wall) in wave guide.
 The velocity of propagation in a waveguide must be less than
in free space.
Reflection of Waves

 Two major consequences of

the zigzag propagation.
 1st – velocity of propagation
in a waveguide must be less
than in free space.
 2nd – waves can no longer
be TEM.
 The 2nd situation arias
because propagation by
reflection required not only a
normal component but also
a component in the
direction of propagation.
Rectangular Waveguide.

 Any shape of cross section of a waveguide can support

electromagnetic waves of which rectangular and
circular waveguides have become more common.
 A waveguide having rectangular cross section is known
as Rectangular waveguide
Dimensions of the waveguide which
determines the operating frequency
range
1. The size of the waveguide determines its operating
frequency range.
2. The frequency of operation is determined by the
dimension ‘a’.
3. This dimension is usually made equal to one – half the
wavelength at the lowest frequency of operation, this
frequency is known as the waveguide cutoff frequency.
4. At the cutoff frequency and below, the waveguide will
not transmit energy. At frequencies above the cutoff
frequency, the waveguide will propagate energy.
Wave paths in a waveguide at
various frequencies
Angle of incidence(A) Angle of reflection (B)
(A = B)
(a)At high
frequency

(b) At medium
frequency
(c) At low
frequency

(d) At cutoff
frequency
12
Continue…
 The angles of incidence and reflection depend upon the operating
frequency. At high frequencies, the angles are large and therefore,
the path between the opposite walls is relatively long as shown in
Fig.
Angle of incidence(A) Angle of reflection (B)
(A = B)

 At lower frequency, the angles decrease and the path between the
sides shortens.
Continue…
 When the operating frequency is reaches the cutoff frequency
of the waveguide, the signal simply bounces back and forth
directly between the side walls of the waveguide and has no
forward motion.

 At cut off frequency and below, no energy will propagate.

Cut-off Wavelength
 The exact size of the wave guide is selected based on the desired
operating frequency.
 The size of the waveguide is chosen so that its rectangular width is
greater than one – half the wavelength should less than the one
wavelength at the operating frequency.
 This gives a cutoff frequency, that is below the operating frequency,
thereby ensuring that the signal will be propagated down the line.
m= number of half-wavelengths across waveguides width.
n= number of half-wavelength along the waveguide height.
And they (m & n) indicate the Mode of the signal

2
2 2 λc =
c m n
fc = ×   +  
2 2
m n
2  a  b   + 
a b
Group Velocities
 The wave reflected from a conducting wall has two
velocities in a direction parallel to the wall called as
Group and Phase velocity.

2
 λ0 
Vg = C 1 −   λc=cutoff wavelength
 λc  λ0=free space wavelength
Phase Velocity
 When guide wavelength λg is greater than the free space
wavelength λ0, since the velocity of propagation is the product of λ
and f, it follows that in a waveguide, Vp= λgf.
 But the speed of light is equal to product of λ0 and f. This phase
velocity is greater than the speed of light since λg> λ0.
 This contradicting since no signal can travel faster than the speed of
light. However, the wavelength in the guide is the length of the
cycle and Vp represent the velocity of the phase.

C
Vp =
2
 λ0 
1 −  
 λc 
Wave Impedance
 It is define as the ratio of the strength of electric field in one
transverse direction to the strength of the magnetic field
along the other transvers direction as shown in fig.

 λ0 
Z TM = η 1−  
 λc 

η
Z TE =
 λ0 
1−  
 λc 
Field Pattern
 Solid line depict electric field lines or voltage lines and dotted lines depict
magnetic field lines. It Denoted as TM mn or TE mn
 Referring to figure it can be seen that the voltage varies from ‘0’ to
maximum and maximum to ‘0’. This is one half variation. Hence m=1
 Across the narrow dimension there is no variation in Voltage. Hence n=0
and therefore this mode is called as TE 10 mode.
 This way we can determine the mode of magnetic field also.
E – Plane
 For a linearly-polarized antenna, this is the plane containing the
electric field vector and the direction of maximum radiation.
 The electric field or "E" plane determines the polarization or
orientation of the radio wave.
 For Electric field H=0.
TE Mode
Dominant Mode

 It is the mode for which the cut-off wavelength is assume as a

maximum value.
 TE10 is a dominant mode in electric field.
H – Plane
 linearly polarized antenna, containing the magnetic field vector
and the direction of maximum radiation.
 The magnetizing field or "H" plane lies at a right angle to the "E"
plane.
 For Magnetic Field E=0.
TM Mode
Numerical

1. Find the cut-off frequency, Phase velocity, Group velocity of

different modes of TE01, TE02, TE12 & TE10 travelling though
rectangular waveguide which having a=6cm & b=2cm at
2500 MHz
2. A rectangular waveguide has a =4cm, b=3cm as its
sectional dimension. Find all modes which will propagate at
5000 MHz
S Parameters Basic
 S-parameters are a useful method for representing a circuit as a
“black box”.
 The external behaviour of this black box can be predicted without
any egad for the contents of the black box.
 This black box could contain anything:
a resistor,
a transmission line
or an integrated circuit.

 We wish to characterize the network by observing transmitted and

reflected power waves
S Parameters Basic..
S-parameters are measured by sending a single frequency signal into the
network or “black box” and detecting what waves exit from each port.

Power, voltage and current

can be considered to be in
the form of waves travelling
in both directions.

For a wave incident on Port 1,

some part of this signal
reflects back out of that port
and some portion of the signal
exits other ports.
 S Parameters Basic…

S11 = b1 / a1

S12 = b1 / a2
S11 S11
S21 = b2 / a1

S22 = b2 / a2
S Parameters Basic….
 S-parameters are complex (i.e. they have magnitude and
angle) because both the magnitude and phase of the input
signal are changed by the network.
 S-parameters depend upon the network and the
characteristic impedances of the source and load used to
measure it, and the frequency measured at. i.e.
 if the network is changed, the S-parameters change.

 if the frequency is changed, the S-parameters change.

 if the load impedance is changed, the S-parameters change.

 if the source impedance is changed, the S-parameters

change.
Advantage of Rectangular waveguide.
 To reduce attenuation loss
 High frequencies
 High power
 Can operate only above certain frequencies
 Acts as a High-pass filter.

Disadvantage of Rectangular waveguide.

 Rectangular waveguides don’t support TEM waves
Circular Waveguide Structure.

 A Hollow metallic tube of uniform circular

cross section for transmitting
electromagnetic waves by successive
reflections from the inner walls of the tube is
called Circular waveguide.
 It has the advantage of greater power –
handling capacity and lower attenuation y
for a given cutoff wavelength. However,
the disadvantage of somewhat greater size r
and weight.
a φ
 The polarization of the transmitted wave
can be altered due to the minor
z x
irregularities of the wall surface of the
circular guide, whereas the rectangular
wave guide the polarization is fixed.
 Circular Waveguide
 A circular waveguide is basically a tubular,
circular conductor.
 As shown in the figure ρ=a and length is l.
 Here Φ varies from 0 to 2π.
 ρ varies from 0 to a and l varies along z-axis.
 For any type of circular waveguide signal must
follow the boundary condition which indicate
that signal must follow the proper path in which
direction it has been penetrated.
 It refers to the conditions that E-field and H-field
within a waveguide must meet before
energy travels down the waveguide.
 The mth root of boundary condition can be
given as
P = K = ah
'
nm r
Pnm(Kr) values fro TEnm modes.
Cut-off Wavelength

 The energy signal which is having a value above the cut-off

wavelength can not be penetrated in waveguide.
2πa
λc = '
pnm
λ0
 Guided wavelength can be given as, λg = 2
 λ0 
1− 
λ 

 c 
 Same way we can not penetrate the signal above cut-off frequency.

c× p '
fc = nm
2πa
Group and Phase Velocity

 Phase Velocity

 Where,

 Group Velocity
Calculate the ratio of the cross section of a circular waveguide to that
of a rectangular one if each is to have the same cut-off wavelength for
its dominant mode.
 For the dominant (TE11) mode in circular waveguide, we have
2πr 2πr
λ0 = = = 3.14r
Kr 1.844

 The area of the circle with a radius r is given by Ac = πr 2

 In the rectangular waveguide, for the TE10 mode 2a
λ0 = = 2a
1
 If two cut-off wavelength are to be the same, then 2a = 3.41r
3.41r
a = = 1.705r
2
 The area of a standard rectangular waveguide is

Ar = ab = a ×
a
=
a2
=
(1.705r )
2
= 1.45r 2
2 2 2
 The ratio of the areas will thus be Ac πr 2
= 2
= 2.17
Ar 1.45r
Modes in Circular Wave
Advantage of Circular waveguide.
 Its easy to manufacture and easy to join.
 TM11 is the dominant mode.
 TE01 is mode in circular waveguide has the lowest attenuation per
unit length of waveguide and hence suitable for long distance
waveguide transmission.

Disadvantage of Circular waveguide.

 It occupy more space compared to rectangular waveguide
for the same wavelength.
 Due to infinite numbers of mode existing in circular
waveguide it very difficult to separate these modes.
Application of Circular waveguide

 Rotating joints in radars to connect the horn antenna

feeding a parabolic reflector (which must rotate for
tracking)
 TE01 mode suitable for long distance waveguide transmission
above 10 GHz.
 Short and medium distance broad band communication
(could replace / share coaxial and microwave links)
Rectangular v/s Circular waveguides

Rectangular Circular

It’s general shape like It’s having circular hollow pipe.

rectangular hollow pipe.
TE11 is the dominant mode for
TE10 is the dominant mode for circular waveguide
rectangular waveguide 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
2 𝜆𝜆0 =
λ0 = 𝐾𝐾𝑟𝑟
𝑚𝑚 2 𝑛𝑛 2
+
𝑎𝑎 𝑏𝑏 m=full wave intensity variation around
TEmn & TMmn the circumference & n=the no. of half
m=no. of half wave in side ‘a’ wave intensity change radially out
n=no. of half wave in side ‘b’ from centre to the wall
The area required is less for same cut-off The area required is 2.17 times larger
wavelength. than that of rectangular waveguide
for same cut-off wavelength.
Difficult to manufacture.
Easier to manufacture
Not easy to join together Easy to join together
Numerical (Circular Waveguide)
1. For the dominant mode propagation in an air filled circular waveguide, the
cut-off wavelength is 10 cm. find,
1. The required size or cross sectional area of the guide.
2. The frequencies that can be used for this mode of propagation.
Use,
2πa and
c × pnm
'
λc = ' fc =
pnm 2πa
2. For the dominant mode of operation in an air filled circular waveguide of
inner diameter 4 cm. find,
1. Cut-off wavelength.
2. Cut-off Frequency.
3. Wavelength in the guide.
Solution of Question–1
 Cut-off wavelength  Area of the cross section is

2πa Area = πr 2
λc =
1.841 = 3.14 × 2.932
λc = 10cm
= 2.73 cm 2
2πr
10 =
1.841  Cut-off Frequency
18.41 c × pnm
'
r= = 2.93cm fc =
2π
2πa
3 × 1010 × 1.841
=
2 × 3.14 × 2.93
= 3 GHz
Thank You