WAVEGUIDES

— Parallel-wire transmission lines, including

coaxial cables, cannot effectively
propagate electromagnetic energy above
approximately 20 GHz, because of the
attenuation caused by skin effect and
radiation losses.
— A waveguide is a hallow conductive tube,
usually rectangular in cross section, but
sometimes circular or elliptical.

Waveguides
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— The dimensions of the cross section are
selected such that electromagnetic waves can
propagate within the interior of the guide.
— A waveguide does not conduct current.
— If the wall of the waveguide is a good
conductor and very thin, little current flows in
the interior walls and, consequently, very
little power is dissipated.
— Waveguides are generally restricted to
frequencies above 1 GHz.

Waveguides
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— Rectangular waveguides are the most
common form of waveguide.
— Transverse electromagnetic wave cannot
have a tangential component of the electric
field at the walls of the waveguide
— To successfully propagate a TEM wave
through a waveguide, the wave must
propagate down the guide in a zigzag
manner, with the electric field maximum in
the center of the guide and zero at the
surface of the walls.

Rectangular Waveguide
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— In waveguide, the velocity varies with
frequency.
— There are two different kinds of velocity:
- Phase Velocity
- Group Velocity

Waveguide Velocities
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— Phase velocity is the apparent velocity of
a particular phase of the wave.
— It is the velocity with which a wave
changes phase in a direction parallel to
conducting surface, such as the walls of a
waveguide.

Phase Velocity
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 v ph = fl
where: vph = phase velocity, (m/s)
f = frequency, (Hz)
λ = wavelength, (m)

Phase Velocity
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— Group velocity is the velocity of a group of
waves.
— Group velocity is the velocity at which
information signals of any kind are
propagated.
— Group velocity can be measured by
determining the time it takes for a pulse
to propagate a given length of waveguide.

Group Velocity
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 vg v ph = c 2

where: vph = phase velocity, (m/s)

vg = group velocity, (m/s)
c = 3 x 10^8 m/s

Group Velocity
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— The phase velocity is always equal to or
greater than the group velocity, and their
product is equal to the square of the free-
space propagation velocity.
— Phase velocity may exceed the velocity of
light.

Phase Velocity
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 v ph
lg = lo
c
where: λg = guide wavelength, (m)
λo = free space wavelength, (m)
vph = phase velocity, (m/s)
c = 3 x 10^8 m/s

Guide Wavelength
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— Cutoff frequency is the minimum
frequency of operation of a waveguide.
— Frequencies below the cutoff frequency
will not be propagated by the waveguide.
— The minimum wavelength that a
waveguide can propagate is called the
cutoff wavelength.
— Only frequencies with wavelengths less
than the cutoff wavelength can propagate
down the waveguide.

Cutoff Frequency and Cutoff

Wavelength
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 c
fc =
2a
Where: λc = cutoff wavelength, (m)
a = cross-sectional length, (m)

Cutoff Frequency
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 c lo
lg = =
1 - ( fc f )
2 2
f - fc
2

where: λg = guide wavelength, (m)

λo = free space wavelength, (m)
f = frequency of operation, (Hz)
fc = cutoff frequency, (Hz)
c = 3 x 10^8 m/s

Guide Wavelength
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 c (l g ) c
v ph = =
lo 1 - ( fc f ) 2

where: vph = phase velocity, (m/s)

f = frequency of operation, (Hz)
fc = cutoff frequency, (Hz)

Phase Velocity
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 377 lg
Zo = = 377
1 - ( fc f ) lo
2

where: Zo = characteristic impedance,

ohms
f = frequency of operation, (Hz)
fc = cutoff frequency, (Hz)

Characteristic Impedance of
waveguide
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— For a rectangular waveguide with a wall
separation of 3 cm and a desired
frequency of operation of 6 GHz,
determine
A. Cutoff frequency
B. Cutoff wavelength
C. Group velocity
D. Phase velocity
E. Characteristic impedance

Example #1
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