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Exam 2011, Questions and answers - Final rn

Fundamentals Of Electromagnetic Fields & Waves (University of Queensland)

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Question 1 (Compulsory)

(i) Explain in your own words what is meant by the “displacement current”. Illustrate your
solution with the relevant equations.

The displacement current is the change in time of the electric flux. It is not an actual flow of
charge but rather a time-varying electric field that generates a magnetic field just as current
does. It is present in Ampere’s law

∇ × H=J + δD/δt

where H is the magnetic field intensity, J is the current and D is the electric flux density.

(ii) What is the boundary condition for the electric field on a perfect conductor (in words or as an
equation)? Explain briefly what happens when the conductor is not perfect.

In a perfect conductor we have the boundary conditions:

● Et = 0: The tangential electric field is zero as it must be continuous and is zero inside the
dielectric.
● n . D1 = p: The normal D(E) field is discontinuous by the surface current
When the conductor is not perfect the conductivity is finite and so there is a non-zero electric
field inside the conductor. This means there is a tangential electric field component that is
continuous across the boundary. What about Ht and Bn? They go to zero as well for a perfect
conductor. It only asks about the electric field - Al

(iii) The complex representation of the electric field for a certain electromagnetic wave in free
space is: E=(2 y−3 z)e + jkx . What is the polarisation of this wave? (linear, circular, elliptical - if
either elliptical or circular give the sense of rotation)

This wave does not rotate around the direction of propagation as both components are in
phase. It is therefore linearly polarised.

(iv) Make a sketch of a parallel polarised plane wave obliquely incident on a half-space. Ensure
to mark the coordinate axes, and indicate the direction of the E-field, H-field and the direction of
propagation.

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Taken from B5/13

(v) What is the main difference between the dominant mode in a rectangular metallic waveguide
and the dominant mode in a dielectric slab waveguide?

The dominant mode in a dielectric slab has a cutoff frequency of 0 Hz meaning any frequency
wave can propagate along the slab. In a rectangular metallic waveguide however there is a
minimum frequency for propagation.

(vi) A radome is a cover over an antenna used to protect it from snow, ice, dust etc. How thick
would you make a radome for a radar antenna, if the material has a dielectric constant of 2 and
the radar frequency of operation is 12 GHz?

See Tutorial 6, Q3 for a similar problem.

λ=λ 0 / √ ε r=c /¿
λ /2=8.84 mm

(vii) Draw a graph that demonstrates the type of dispersion encountered in a typical rectangular
waveguide. Make sure to label the axes, and indicate how to obtain the phase and group
velocities at a particular point. Also, draw the dispersionless case as a reference.

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Taken from B9/6. The TEM dashed line shows the dispersionless case.

(viii) For a transmission-line resonator, describe how the electric and magnetic energies are
related at resonance.

In a resonator resonance is reached when the electric and magnetic energies are equal.

(ix) A resonant rectangular cavity has dimensions a x b x d, and is filled with air. Assume that a
= b/2 2b, and find a and d, such that the cavity resonates in the dominant TE101 mode at a
frequency of 8 GHz, whereas it resonates in the TM111 mode at 10 GHz.

f 101=c /2 √ 1/a2 +1/d 2=8 GHz

¿

f 111=c /2 √1/ a2 +1/b 2+1 /d2 =10GHz

¿
4444=1 /a2+1/¿
4444=1 /a2+ 4 /a2 +1/d 2

Subtracting the second equation from the first

1600=1 /a2 -> a=50 mm
b=a /2 -> b=25 mm
2844=1/a2 +1/d 2 -> d=20.23mm

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(x) Explain what is meant by the far field of an antenna. Is there any imaginary power radiated
in the far field?

The far-field of an antenna is the region where the field can be safely approximated to only use
the first two terms in the binomial expansion. The total apparent power produced by the source
will have an imaginary component however this is a function of r-3 for a dipole and so in the far
field is considered negligible.

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Question 2

It is desired to match a load impedance of ZL = 85 + j200 Ω using a quarter wave transformer

placed at a suitable distance from the load as shown in the figure below.

(a) Using a Smith chart, determine what distance (d1), in wavelengths from the load, the quarter
wave section should be placed.

The normalised load impedance is

zL = ZL/50 = 1.7 + j4 Ω
We plot this on a Smith chart and then rotate clockwise (away from the load) until we have a
purely real impedance. The shortest distance is 0.032λ at which zin = 13 Ω.

(b) Determine the characteristic impedance (Zs) of the quarter wave section. Assume other lines
to have a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω.

The impedance of the quarter wave transformer is given by

Z s =√ Z 0 Z L =√ 50 ×13 ×50=180.28 Ω
❑

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Question 3

A plane wave is normally incident from air onto a semi-infinite slab of dielectric material with
dielectric constant ε r=3.0 . If the frequency of operation is 2.45GHz, determine:

(a) The reflection coefficient at the interface.

First, a beautifully rendered diagram:

ρ=
√ ε1
ε2
−1
=−0.268

√ ε1
ε2
+1

(b) The corresponding standing wave ratio

S=1+¿ ρ∨ ¿ ¿
1−¿ ρ∨¿=1.732 ¿

(c) The wavelength in air and wavelength in the slab.

Air: λ=λ 0=c /f =122.45 mm

Dielectric: λ=λ 0 / √ ε r=70.70 mm

(d) The percentage of incident power that is reflected back from the interface.

Pref =¿ ρ ¿2 Pinc
Pref / Pinc ×100 %=¿ ρ ¿2 × 100 %=7.18 %

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Question 4

(a) Write the instantaneous field expressions for the dominant TE10 mode in a rectangular
waveguide with transverse dimensions a and b.

mπx nπy πx
H z=H 0 cos cos =H 0 cos
a b a
δ πx
Also k c =π /a ; γ =ω √ με
2
H x =−γ /k c H 0 cos
δx a
2
a π πx a πx
H x =ω √ με 2 H 0 sin =ω √ με H 0 sin
π a a π a
H y =0
E z=0
− jωμ π πx − jωμa πx
E y= 2
H 0 sin = H 0 sin
kc a a π a

(b) For an air-filled WR-975 commercial rectangular waveguide with transverse dimensions a =
24.766 cm and b = 12.383 cm, determine:

(i) The frequency range over which only the dominant mode propagates.
(ii) The cutoff frequencies of the first 3 TE modes and the first 3 TM modes.

1
f c= √¿ ¿
2 √ με

fc (GHz) n m

0.6057 0 1

1.211 1 0

1.354 1 1

1.713 1 2

2.184 1 3

2.498 2 1

2.709 2 2

3.684 3 1

The frequency range over which only TE10 propagates is 0.6057 GHz < f < 1.211 GHz.
From the above table we have the first three TE modes as TE10, TE01, TE11 and the first three
TM modes as TM11, TM21, TM31 (note that TM modes can’t have m or n equal to zero).

(iii) The modal impedances of the TE10 and the TM11 modes.

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η
ZTE = ,f >f c

√
f c2
1− 2
f

√
f c2
ZTM =η 1− 2 , f > f c
f
The frequency of the propagating wave will determine the modal impedance and so this is
needed to calculate values. η is the impedance of air and will be approximately 377 Ω, fc will be
the cut-off frequency of the mode and is given above.

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Question 5

(c) A dielectric slab waveguide that is infinite in the x-direction is shown in the figure below.
Assume propagation is in the z-direction, and ε d=12 ε 0 and μd =μ0.

Determine the minimum thickness of the slab (d), so that an even TM or even TE wave at a
frequency of 30 GHz may propagate along the guide.

f ce =(n−0.5)/(d √ μd ε d−μ 0 ε 0)

We’re looking at the minimum so set n = 1 and fce = 30 GHz.

30 GHz=1/(2 d min √ 11 μ0 ε 0 )
d min =1.508 mm

(d) The time-average Poynting vector in the +z-direction in the dielectric slab is given by:
Pav =1/2 ℜ {−E y ^y × H x ^x }.
For the dominant TM surface wave, find the time-average power across the width of the
waveguide that is transmitted along the waveguide.
Hint: use the expressions for the fields from your class notes, and integrate the Poynting vector
from y = 0 to d/2, and from y = 0 to -d/2.

The field equations are

− jβ
E y= E cos (k y y )
ky o
jωεd
H x= Eo cos(k y y)
ky

βωεd βωεd
Pav =1/2 ℜ {z 2
Eo co s2 (k y y )}= 2
E o co s 2 (k y y ) z
ky 2k y

Integrating from y = 0 to d/2.

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d/2 d /2

∫ ❑ βωεd
2k y
2
E o co s 2 (k y y )dy=E0
βωεd
2 ∫
2k y 0
❑co s 2(k y y) dy=E 0
βωεd
2ky
2
¿
0

Integrating from y = 0 to -d/2.

−d /2

∫ ❑ βωεd
2k 2
E o co s 2 (k y y )dy =E0
βωεd
2k 2
¿
0 y y

And the total from y = -d/2 to d/2 is

βωεd
E0 [d /4+1/ 4 k y sin(k y d)]
k y2

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Question 6

(e) A Hertzian dipole (a very short dipole antenna) is excited by a current of 5 A amplitude. If the
length of the dipole is L = 10 cm = 0.001λ, find the maximum radiated time-average power
density at a distance of (i) 10m and (ii) 10km.

This is pretty much the same question as Tutorial 10 question 8.

Since the antenna is a Hertzian dipole we can use the far field expressions (you could also use
the equation to show the far field radius is ~200um). The maximum time averaged radiated
power density occurs at broadside, at θ=90, and is given by:

¿ Eθ ¿max 2
¿ Pav ¿ max=
2 ηair
And the electric field comes from the far field expression
❑ I 0 lkηsinθ 5 × 0.01× 2 π ×377
¿ Eθ ¿max = = =9.425 /r V /m
4 πr 4 πr
¿ Pav ¿ max=¿ ¿

(i) ¿ Pav ¿ max=1.178 mW /m 2

2
(ii) ¿ Pav ¿ max=1.178 nW /m

(f) An antenna has an input power of 50 W. The time average power density measured along
the main beam of the antenna at a distance of 10 km from it is 75 pW/cm2. Find the gain of this
antenna assuming isotropic radiation.

The total power radiated can be calculated as

Prad =4 π r 2∨Pav ∨¿ 942.48 W
The input power is 50 W making the gain
G=Prad / P¿ =942.48/50=18.85

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