Kamariah Ismail

Centre for Communication Studies

Faculty f Electrical Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam

INTRODUCTION
described as a system of material that is
designed to confine electromagnetic waves in
a direction defined by its physical boundaries
comprising of a hollow conducting tube, which
may be rectangular or circular within which
electromagnetic waves are propagated.
Signals propagate within the confines of the
metallic walls that act as boundaries. and
confined by total internal reflection from the
walls of the waveguide.
used in a variety of applications to carry radio
frequency energy from one pint to another.

Note that:
the dimensions of a rectangular
waveguide is a b where a > b and for
convenience it has been standardized
where a = 2b
Frequency range is 1: 1.5
Lower cut-off frequency is about 25%
above cut-off of TE10
Upper cut-off frequency is about 5%
below the cut-off of TE20

Basically there are various shapes of waveguide

but the popular ones are: rectangular and
circular cross-sectional area
Made from materials with high conductivities
such as copper, silver, brass, aluminium etc to keep
losses to a minimum

The walls provides distributed inductance whilst

the space between the walls provides distributed
capacitance

When an electromagnetic wave propagates

down a hollow tube, only one of the fields -either electric or magnetic -- will actually be
transverse to the wave's direction of travel.
The other field will loop longitudinally to
the direction of travel, but still be perpendicular
to the other field.
Whichever field remains transverse to the
direction of travel determines whether the wave
propagates in TE mode (Transverse Electric) or
TM (Transverse Magnetic) mode).

MODE OF PROPAGATION
Only two propagation modes which satisfy
Maxwells equations;
TEm,n for transverse-electric waves
TM m,n for transverse-magnetic waves.
m and n are integers designating the number of
half-wavelengths of the field intensity that exist
between each pair of walls.
m - measured along the X-axis (a length) of
the waveguide
n - measured along the Y-axis (b length)

Behaviour of waves through w/g must satisfy

Maxwells equations;
div D =
div B = 0

The solution to Maxwells equations will give

expressions for the EM fields inside the guide with
the walls of the waveguide acts as boundary
conditions.

For w/g, the propagation is in a non-conducting

medium,
therefore = 0 no free charges and
J = 0 insulating medium
Please note that: B=roH and D =r oE
Thus the Maxwell equations become;

The fields components of the emw

inside the waveguide:
Ez Hz Ex Hx Ey Hy which obeys

Ek E 0
2

H k H 0
2

where

k c
2

TEMN

m
H z H o cos
a
Ez 0

n jz
x cos
y e
b

Other components are

j H z
Ex 2
h
y
j H z
Ey 2
h
x
H z
Hx 2
h x
H z
Hy 2
h y

j n
Ex 2
h b

mx ny z
H o cos
sin
e

a b
j m
mx ny z
Ey 2
H o sin
cos
e
h a
a b
j
Hx 2
h

m
mx ny z

H o sin
cos
e
a
a b
j n
mx ny z
Hy 2
H o cos
sin
e
h b
a b

TMMN

m
E z Eo sin
a
Hz 0

n jz
x sin
y e
b

Other components are

Ex

E z

h 2 x
E z
Ey 2
h y
j E z
Hx 2
h y
j E z
Hy 2
h x

mx ny z
Ex 2
Eo cos
sin
e
h a
a b
n
mx ny z
Ey 2
Eo sin
cos
e
h b
a b
j n
mx ny z
Hx 2
Eo sin
cos
e
h b
a b
j
Hy 2
h

mx ny z
Eo cos
sin
e

a b

TEM cannot propagate through a

waveguide
must propagate down the guide in a
zigzag manner, with the electric field
maximum in the centre of the guide and
zero at the surface of the wall.

Illustrates how emw propagates down the guide

By reflecting back and forth between the walls at various
angles

Top-view of a section waveguide

The electric field strength, E = Eoe jt e -x

The magnetic field strength, H = Hoe jt e -x
where = + j ;
- attenuation per unit length and - phase change
For the case of waveguide -lossless 0
Wave constant ,kc = 2 - 2 =
2
2
m n
a

1
22

fc
and 1
f

Dominant mode
The TE10 mode is termed as a
dominant mode of a rectangular
waveguide with a>b,
it has the lowest attenuation of all
modes. Either m or n can be zero,
but not both.

Dominant mode

Terms related to waveguides:

1. Cut-off frequency, f c
is a minimum frequency of operation which means
frequencies below the cutoff frequency will not be
propagated down the guide.
In general
2

f c 1.5 10

1
m n

2
a b

m n

a b

Example:
Determine the cut-off frequency of an Xband
waveguide with inside dimension of 2.286 cm x 1.016
cm for TE10

COMMERCIAL
WAVEGUIDE
Waveguide
Designation

a
(in)

b
(in)

t
(in)

fc10
(GHz)

freq range
(GHz)

WR975

9.750

4.875

.125

.605

.75 1.12

WR650

6.500

3.250

.080

.908

1.12 1.70

WR430

4.300

2.150

.080

1.375

1.70 2.60

WR284

2.84

1.34

.080

2.08

2.60 3.95

WR187

1.872

.872

.064

3.16

3.95 5.85

WR137

1.372

.622

.064

4.29

5.85 8.20

WR90

.900

.450

.050

6.56

8.2 12.4

WR62

.622

.311

.040

9.49

12.4 - 18

Terms related to waveguides:

2. Cut-off wavelength, c

is defined as the highest free-space wavelength

that is just unable to propagate in the
waveguide,
c = c/fc for dominant mode c = 2a
where, f c

1
2

m
n

a
b

Example:
Determine the cut-off frequency of an Xband
waveguide with inside dimension of 2.286 cm x 1.016
cm for TE10

3.Phase velocity, ph
the velocity with which a wave changes phase in a
direction parallel to a conducting surface (wall of a
waveguide)

v ph

c(g )
c

c
fc
1
f

4.Group velocity, g

is the velocity at which information signals of any kind are

propagated.

It can be measured by determining the time it takes for a

pulse to propagate a given length of a waveguide.

fc
c
vg
c 1 c
v ph
f
2

The phase velocity is always greater than the group velocity

and related to free space velocity as below:

ph g = c2

5.

Guide wavelength, g

Wavelength in guide is given by:- g = o ph /c

c
f 2 f 2c

o
fc
1

6. The characteristic wave impedance, Z of the

rectangular waveguide is the ratio of electric field
to magnetic fields:
A. T E MODE, Z

ZO
f
1 c
f

Z is generally greater than Zo, impedance of free

space
2
fc
B. TM MODE, Z Z o 1

Z is generally smaller than Zo, impedance of free space

Z is generally smaller than Zo, impedance of free space

Example:
Let us take a look at the field pattern for two modes,
TE10 and TE20
In both cases, E only varies in the x direction;
since n = 0, it is constant in the y direction.
For TE10, the electric field has a half sine
wave pattern, while for TE20 a full sine wave
pattern is observed.

End View (TE10)

Side View (TE10)

Top View (TE10)

____ Electric field lines

_ _ _ Magnetic field lines

For TM modes, m=0 and n=0 are not possible, thus, TM11 is the
lowest possible TM mode.

End View (TM11)

Side View (TM11)

____ Electric field lines

_ _ _ Magnetic field lines

(a)
(b)
Figure of waveguide impedance matching (a) inductive iris; (b) capacitive iris

(a)
(b)
Figure of waveguide impedance matching: (a) post ; (b) tuning screw

31

Mostly used in radar and microwave applications.

Advantageous: both vertically and horizontally polarized waves can propagate
in the same waveguide

Figure of circular waveguide with rotational joint

32

Behavior of electromagnetic waves

is the same as in the rectangular
waveguides,
Cut-off wavelength is given by;

r = internal radius of the waveguide

kr = solution of a Bessel function
equation
33

the electric lines are

circular around the centre
of the waveguide and
perpendicular to the
direction of propagation.

In the TM mode, the

magnetic lines are circular
around the centre of the
waveguide and
perpendicular to the
direction of propagation
34

ADVANTAGES OF CIRCULAR
WAVEGUIDE:
The cutoff wavelength is reduced, where d is
the waveguide diameter in meters.
It is easier to manufacture and join together.

it has much larger area than a corresponding

rectangular waveguide used to carry the same
signal and the plane of polarization may rotate
while the wave is propagating down the circular
waveguide

35

ADVANTAGES OF WAVEGUIDES:
Higher efficiency/low loss
No inner conductor or internal insulators
Does not require pressurization
Higher power handling capacity
Waveguide will propagate in the primary mode above
700 MHz without creating spurious modes.
Waveguide, constructed of aluminium, creates its
own protective layer.

DISADVANTAGES
High in cost because waveguide material such as
copper and silver are relatively expensive

Manufacturing volume are low

Unwieldy size and mass, particularly at lower

frequencies
Not compatible for usage of handy device such as

cell phone because the cell phone will become too

heavy

Can't pass DC currents along with your RF signal

Air-filled waveguide
Cut-off
frequency
Propagation
constant

Guide
wavelength
Wave
Impedance

Phase and
group
velocity

fc

Dielectric-filled waveguide
2

m
n

a
b

1
2

fc

2 o o r

j o o r

j o o
g

ZTM Zo

vg c

where

Z TE

v p

fc
1

m
n

a
b

Zo

Zo

ZTM

vg
Voltage

ZTE

v p

A ez

Attenuation,

r
c

54.5 z

Zo

dB