Lecture Summary

Microwaves
Properties
Spectrum
History
Applications
Microwave System
Microwave Devices
 Microwave
 Microwaves are electromagnetic waves whose
frequencies range from about 300 MHz – 300 GHz (1
MHz = 10 6 Hz and 1 GHz = 10 9 Hz) or wavelengths, λ =
c/ f in air ranging from 100 cm – 1 mm.

 Frequencies adopted between 1 to 300 GHz in Ref Text

(i.e. S. Y. Liao)

 The word Microwave means very short wave, which is

the shortest wavelength region of the radio spectrum and
a part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Electro Magnetic Spectrum
 Brief Microwave History
Maxwell (1864-73)
o integrated electricity and magnetism
o set of 4 coherent and self-consistent equations
o predicted electromagnetic wave propagation
Hertz (1886-88)
o experimentally confirmed Maxwell’s equations in 1887-1891
o oscillating electric spark to induce similar oscillations in a
distant wire loop (=10 cm)
 Marconi (early 20th century)
o parabolic antenna to demonstrate wireless telegraphic
communications
o tried to commercialize radio at low frequency
Lord Rayleigh (1897)
o showed mathematically that EM wave propagation
possible in waveguides
Brief Microwave History
George Southworth (1930)
o showed waveguides capable of small bandwidth
transmission for high powers R.H. and S.F. Varian
(1937)
o development of the klystron
MIT Radiation Laboratory (WWII)
o radiation lab series - classic writings
Accidentally invented microwave oven by Percy
Spencer (1945)
Development of transistors (1950’s)
Development of Microwave Integrated Circuits
o microwave circuit on a chip
o microstrip lines
Satellites, wireless communications, ..
 Microwave Applications
Q. Why microwave engineering is important for you?
“Speed and frequency of different circuits has been
increased”

o Wireless Applications
o TV and Radio broadcast
o Optical Communications
o Radar
o Navigation
o Remote Sensing
o Domestic and Industrial Applications
o Medical Applications
o Surveillance
o Astronomy and Space Exploration
Microwave System Example
Microwave Calibrated
source Wavemeter attenuator Output to
power meter
Antennas

Waveguide
Waveguides
termination
Stands
Crystal
mount
 Microwave Devices
Vacuum tubes:
 Vacuum diode
 Triode
 Tetrode
 Pentrode

Special Microwave Tubes (Vacuum):

1. O-Type Tubes (Linear Beam Parallel)
 Klystron, Helix TWT, BWA etc.

2. M-Type Tubes (Cross field Perpendicular)

 Magnetron, Back-ward wave non-resonant tube etc.

 O-Type French TPO (tubes a propagation des ondes)

 M-Type French TPOM (tubes a propagation des ondes a
champs magnetique)
 End

Lecture 2