Antenna and Guided Waves

1. Guided Waves

Introduction In general Maxwell’s curl equations and wave

equations are
In the wave propagation so far
discussed, only uniform plane waves,
remote from any guiding surfaces, have
been considered. In many actual cases,
propagation is by means of guided waves,
that is, waves that are guided along or
over conducting or dielectric surfaces. In rectangular coordinates for the non-
Common examples of guided conducting region above equations will
electromagnetic waves are the waves become
along• ordinary parallel-wire and coaxial
transmission lines, waves in wave guides,
and waves that are guided along the
earth's surface from a radio transmitter to
the receiving point. The study of such
guided waves will now be undertaken.

A) Waves between parallel planes

It will be assumed that propagation is in

An electromagnetic wave, propagating
between a pair of parallel perfectly
conducting planes of infinite extent in the
y and z directions. In order to determine
the electromagnetic field configurations in
the region between the planes, Maxwell's
equations will be solved subject to the
appropriate boundary conditions. Because
perfectly conducting planes have been
assumed, these boundary conditions are
very simple. Being
E tangential=0, H normal=0
the z direction, and that the variation of all
field components in this direction may be
expressed in the form e-ϒz, where in
general
is a complex propagation constant. whose
value is to be determined. This is a quite
reasonable assumption because it is
easy to show that for any uniform
transmission line or guide the fields must
obey an exponential law along the line.
When the time variation factor is
combined with the z variation factor, it
is seen that the combination
represents a wave propagating in the z
direction. If Ƴ happens to be an imaginary
number, that is if a = 0, expression
represents a wave without attenuation. On
the other hand, if Ƴ is real so that β= 0,
there is no wave motion but only an
exponential decrease in amplitude.
Since the space between the planes is
infinite in extent in the y direction, there
are no boundary conditions to be met in
this direction, and it can be assumed that
the field is uniform or constant in the y
direction. This means that the derivatives
with respect to y can be put equal to
zero. In the x direction however, there
are certain boundary conditions which must
be met. Therefore it is not possible to
specify arbitrarily what the distribution of
fields in this direction will be. This
answer must come out of the solution of
the differential equations when the
boundary conditions are applied.
When the variation in the z direction of
each of the field components is shown
explicitly by writing, for example,
It is seen immediately that
with similar results for the z derivatives
of the other components. Making use of
this result and remembering that the y
derivative of any component is zero.
it should be remembered that each of
these equations is really three equations,
one for each of the components of E or
H. Equations can be solved simultaneously
to yield the following equations
In eqs. the various components of
electric and magnetic field strengths are
expressed in terms of E, and Hz, With
the exception of one possibility, to be
discussed later, it will be observed that
there must be a z component of either
E or H; otherwise all the com• ponents
would be zero and there would be no
fields at all in the region considered.
Although in the general case both E,
and Hz could be present at the same
time, it is convenient and desirable to
divide the solutions into two sets. In the
first of these, there is a component of E
in the direction of propagation (£1), but
no component of Hin this direction. Such
waves are called E waves, or more
commonly, transverse magnetic (TM) waves,
because the magnetic field strength His
entirely transverse. The second set of
solutions has a component of H in the
direction of propagation, but no E,
component. Such waves are called H waves
or transverse electric (TE) waves. The
solutions to eqs. (8) and (9) for these
two cases will now be obtained. Since
the differential equations are linear, the
sum of these two sets of solutions yields
the most general solution

B) Transverse Electric Waves

Transverse Magnetic Waves

Characteristics of TE and TM waves

Transverse Electromagnetic Waves

Velocity of Propagation