Tutorial 3: Waveguides and cavity resonators

Q1. In the study of wave behaviour in a straight waveguide of uniform but arbitrary cross-
section, it is usual to find general expressions for the transverse field components in
terms of their axial components. To do this, we express the fields and the del operator
as
−
→ − →
E = E t + z
Ez
−
→ − →
H = H t + z
Hz
−
→ − → ∂
∇ = ∇ t + z

∂z
where the subscript t denotes "transverse". Prove the following relations for time-
harmonic excitation:

(a)
−
→ 1  −
→ −
→ 
E t = − 2 γ ∇ t Ez − jωµ

z × ∇ t Hz
kc

(b)
−
→ 1  −
→ → 
−
H t = − 2 γ ∇ t Hz + jωǫ

z × ∇ t Ez
kc
where
kc2 = γ 2 + ω 2 µǫ

Q2. For the rectangular section waveguide,

(a) Plot the universal circle diagrams relating vg /c and β/k against fc /f

(b) Plot the universal graphs for vg /vp , β/k and λg /λ against fc /f

(c) Determine vg /c, β/k and λg /λ at f = 1, 25fc

Q3. Sketch the ω-β diagrams of the parallel-plate waveguide separated by a dielectric of
thickness b and constitutive parameters µ, ǫ for the TM1 , TM2 and TM3 modes, hence
discuss

(a) How b and the constitutive parameters affect the diagrams

(b) Whether the same diagrams apply to the TE modes

Q4. Obtain the expressions for the surface charge density and the surface current density
on the conducting plates of a parallel-plate waveguide

(a) For the TMn modes

(b) For the TEn modes

Do the currents on the two plates flow in the same direction in the two modes of
operation?

Q5. Sketch the electric and magnetic field lines on a parallel-plate waveguide for

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(a) The TM2 mode and

(b) The TE2 mode

Q6. Determine the energy transport velocity of the TEn mode in a lossless parallel-plate
waveguide in terms of its cut-off frequency.

Q7. A waveguide is formed by two parallel copper sheets separated by a 5 cm thick lossy
dielectric of constitutive parameters ǫr = 2, 25, µr = 1, σ = 10−10 Sm−1 . If the
waveguide is operated at 10 GHz and σ Cu = 5, 8 × 107 Sm−1 , determine β, αd , αc , vp ,
vg and λg for

(a) The TEM mode

(b) The TM1 mode

(c) The TM2 mode

(d) The TE1 mode

(e) The TE2 mode

Q8. For the parallel-plate waveguide,

(a) Find the frequency in terms of the cut-off frequency at which the attenuation constant
due to conductor losses for the TMn modes attains its minimum value

(b) Obtain a formula for this minimum attenuation constant

(c) Calculate this minimum for the TM1 mode if the parallel plates are made of copper
spaced 5 cm apart in air

Q9. A parallel-plate waveguide made of two perfectly conducting infinite planes spaced 3 cm
apart in air is operated at 10 GHz. Determine the maximum time-average power that
can be propagated per unit width of guide without voltage breakdown in

(a) The TEM mode

(b) The TM1 mode

(c) The TE1 mode

Take the dielectric strength of air as 3 × 106 V m−1

Q10. Without deriving any new equations, roughly sketch the electric and magnetic field
lines in a typical xy-plane of a rectangular section waveguide for

(a) TM21 mode

(b) TE11 mode

The density of the field lines should show the proper sine or cosine variations

Q11. For an a × b rectangular waveguide operating in the TM11 mode,

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(a) Derive the expressions for the surface current densities on the conducting walls

(b) Sketch the surface currents on the walls at x = 0 and y = b

Q12. A standard air-filled S-band rectangular waveguide has inner dimensions a = 7, 21 cm

and b = 3, 40 cm. What modes propagate when the waveguide is operated at

(a) λ = 10 cm?

(b) λ = 5 cm?

Q13. Determine the energy transport velocity for the TE10 mode in a lossless a × b rectan-
gular waveguide in terms of its cut-off frequency.

Q14. Calculate and list in ascending order, the cut-off frequencies in terms of the cut-off
frequency of the dominant mode of an a × b rectangular waveguide for the following
modes: TE01 , TE10 , TE02 , TE20 , TM11 , TM12 , TM22

(a) If a = 2b

(b) If a = b

Q15. An air-filled a × b, b < a < 2b, rectangular waveguide is to be constructed to operate

at 3 GHz in its dominant mode. We desire that the operating frequency to be at least
20% higher than the cut-off frequency of the dominant mode and at least 20% below
the cut-off frequency of the next higher-order mode.

(a) Give a typical design for the dimensions a and b

(b) Calculate for your design, β, vp , λg and the wave impedance at the operating frequency

(c) The average power transmitted to the load

Q16. Calculate and compare the values of β, vp , vg , λg and ZT E10 for a 2, 5 cm × 1, 5 cm

rectangular waveguide operating at 7, 5 GHz

(a) If the guide is hollow

(b) If the guide is filled with a dielectric medium characterised by ǫr = 2, µr = 1 and σ = 0

Q17. An air-filled rectangular waveguide made of copper and having transverse dimensions
a = 7, 20 cm and b = 3, 40 cm is operated at 3 GHz in its dominant mode. Determine

(a) fc

(b) λg

(c) αc

(d) The distance over which the fields of the propagating wave will be attenuated by 50%

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Q18. An average power of 1 kW at 10 GHz is to be delivered to an antenna in the TE10 mode
by an air-filled rectangular copper waveguide 1 m long and having sides a = 2, 25 cm
and b = 1, 00 cm. Determine

(a) The attenuation constant due to conductor losses

(b) The maximum values of the electric and magnetic field intensities within the guide

(c) The maximum value of the surface current density on the conducting walls

(d) The total amount of average power dissipated in the guide

Q19. Determine the maximum amount of 10 GHz average power that can be transmitted
through an air-filled rectangular waveguide of a = 2, 25 cm, b = 1, 00 cm operated in
the TE10 mode without breakdown.

Q20. Determine the value of f/fc at which the attenuation constant due to conductor
losses in an a × b rectangular waveguide for the TE10 mode of operation is a minimum.
Determine the minimum αc obtainable and the frequency at which it occurs in a
2 cm × 1 cm guide.

Q21. Derive an expression for the attenuation constant due to conductor losses in an a × b
rectangular waveguide for the TM11 mode hence determine the frequency relative to
the cut-off frequency at which this attenuation constant is a minimum.

Q22. Measurements at 10 GHz on an X-band air-filled rectangular waveguide of dimensions

a = 2, 29 cm, b = 1, 02 cm connected to an unknown load indicates an electric field
minimum at 6 cm from the load and a standing wave ratio of 1, 80. Determine the
location and the dimensions of a symmetrical capacitive iris required to bring the SWR
to unity.

Q23. A solution of the Bessel’s differential equation

d2 1 d
R (r) + R (r) + R (r) = 0
dr 2 r dr
can be obtained by assuming R (r) to be a power series in r of the form


∞
R (r) = Cp (kc r)p
p=0

, substituting it in the differential equation and equating the sum of the coefficients of
each power of r to zero. Determine the solution and verify that it is consistent with
∞  
(−1)m kc r n+2m
Jn (r) =
m=0
m! (n + m)! 2

for n = 0.

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Q24. Starting from the Maxwell’s curl equations in a simple medium, show that the TM
modes in a circular waveguide are given by
−
→
φ=−γ−
E t,T M = r
Er + φE
→
∇ t Ez
kc
2

Q25. Without deriving any new equations, roughly sketch the electric and magnetic field
lines in a typical transverse plane of a circular waveguide for

(a) The TM11 mode

(b) For the TE01 mode

(c) Determine the cut-off frequencies for the TM11 and the TE01 modes in an air-filled
circular waveguide of radius a.

Q26. Sketch the ω-β diagrams for the TE11 and TM01 modes in a hollow circular waveguide
of radius a hence discuss how the diagrams would be affected

(a) If a is doubled

(b) If the waveguide is filled with a non-magnetic medium of dielectric constant ǫr

Q27. For the straight waveguide with a semicircular cross-section shown in Fig. Q27,

(a) Write down the appropriate expression for Ez for TM modes

(b) Write down the appropriate expressions for Hz for TE modes

(c) Explain how the eigenvalues of the respective modes can be determined.

a
φ

Fig. Q27

Q28. Show that electromagnetic waves propagate along a dielectric waveguide with a ve-
locity between the plane wave propagation in the dielectric medium and that in the
medium outside.

Q29. Assume a dielectric slab of thickness h in air and find solutions for
 ǫ0 ky h
ω 2 (µǫ − µ0 ǫ0 ) − ky2 = tan
ǫ 2
for ky by plotting
α ǫ0 ky h
= tan , odd modes
ky ǫ 2

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 and
α2 + ky2 = ω 2 (µǫ − µ0 ǫ0 )
with αh/2 against ky h/2 for h = 1 cm and ǫr = 3, 25 if

(a) f = 200 M Hz

(b) f = 500 M Hz

(c) Determine β and α for the lowest order odd TM modes at the two frequencies.

(d) Use
α ǫ0 ky h
= − cot , even modes
ky ǫ 2
and repeat (a), (b) and (c). What can you conclude about even TM modes?

Q30. For an infinite dielectric slab waveguide of thickness h situated in air, obtain the
instantaneous expressions of all the non-zero field components of even TM modes in
the slab as well as in the upper and lower free space regions.

Q31. When the thickness of a dielectric slab waveguide situated in air is very small in terms
of the operating wavelength, the field intensities decay very slowly away from the slab
surface and the propagation constant is very nearly equal to that of the surrounding
medium.

(a) Show that if ky h << 1, the following relations hold approximately for the dominant TE
mode
β ∼ k0
µ 
α ∼ 0 h k 2 − k02
2µ
√ √
where k = ω µǫ and k0 = ω µ0 ǫ0

(b) For a slab of thickness 5 mm and dielectric constant 3, estimate the distance from the
slab surface where the field intensities have decayed to 36, 8% of their values at the
surface at an operating frequency of 300 MHz.

Q32. For an infinite dielectric slab waveguide of thickness h situated in free space, obtain
the instantaneous expressions for all the non-zero field components of the even TE
modes in the slab as well as in the upper and lower free space regions. Show that for
the even TE modes,
α µ ky h
= − 0 cot
ky µ 2
Q33. A waveguide consists of an infinite dielectric slab of thickness h sitting on a perfectly
conducting ground plane.

(a) What are the propagating modes and what are their cut-off frequencies?

(b) Obtain the phasor expressions for the surface current and surface charge densities on
the conducting base for the propagating modes.

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Q34. A round dielectric rod waveguide of radius a, permittivity ǫ1 and permeability µ1 is en-
veloped in a homogeneous medium characterised be a permittivity ǫ2 and permeability
µ2 .

(a) Write down the expressions for all the field amplitudes for circularly symmetric TE
modes

(b) Obtain the characteristic equation for these modes

Q35. Given an air-filled lossless rectangular cavity resonator with dimensions 8 cm× 6 cm ×
5 cm, find the first twelve lowest-order modes and their resonance frequencies.

Q36. An air-filled rectangular cavity with brass walls of ǫ0 , µ0 , σ = 1, 57 × 107 Sm−1 has
dimensions a = 4 cm, b = 3 cm, l = 5 cm.

(a) Determine the dominant mode and its resonance frequency for this cavity

(b) Find the Q and the time-average stored electric and magnetic energies at the resonance
frequency assuming H0 = 0, 1 Am−1

Q37. If the rectangular cavity in Q36 is filled with a lossless dielectric of dielectric constant
2, 5, determine

(a) The resonance frequency of the dominant mode

(b) The Q

(c) The time-average stored electric and magnetic energies at the resonance frequency as-
suming H0 = 0, 1 Am−1 .

Q38. A rectangular cavity resonator of length l is constructed from an a × b rectangular

waveguide. It is to be operated in the T E101 mode

(a) For b fixed, determine the relative magnitudes of a and l such that the cavity Q is
maximised

(b) Obtain an expression for Q as a function of a/b under the conditions in (a)

Q39. For an air-filled rectangular copper cavity resonator,

(a) Calculate its Q for the TE101 mode if its dimensions are a = l = 1, 8b = 3, 6 cm

(b) Determine how much b should be increased in order to make the Q 20% higher.

Q40. Derive an expression for the Q of an air-filled a × b × l rectangular resonator in the

TM110 mode.
Q41. For an air-filled circular cylindrical cavity resonator of radius a and length l,

(a) Write down the general expressions for the resonance frequencies and the corresponding
wavelengths for TMmnp and TEmnp modes

(b) For l = a, list the first seven modes that have the lowest resonance frequencies.

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Q42. In some microwave applications, ring-shaped cavity resonators with very narrow centre
parts are used. A cross-section of such a resonator is shown in Fig. Q42 in which d is
very small in comparison to the resonance wavelength. Assuming that this resonator
can be represented approximately by a parallel capacitance of the narrow centre part
and the inductance of the rest of the structure, find

(a) The approximate resonance frequency

(b) The approximate resonance wavelength

d h

b
Fig. Q42