PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE

OF BASIC SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND INNOVATION (PAUISTI)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE: PUE 3124

COURSE UNIT: Advanced Microwave Engineering System

Assignment 2
LECTURER: Dr. Kibet Langat

STUDENT NUMBER: EE3000012/15

STUDENT NAME: Nkamwesiga Nicholas
(+254 718 107095, nnpota@gmail.com)
Submission Date: 3rd October 2015

1. Design an air-filled circular waveguide yielding a frequency separation of 1 GHz between the
cut-off frequencies of the dominant mode and the next highest mode.
Solution
The cutoff frequencies of the TE11 mode (dominant mode) and the TM01 mode (next highest mode)
for an air-filled circular waveguide are;
01

01 () =

2(0 0 )

2, 01 = 2.4049
01 () =
11 () =

2.4049
2(0 0 )

11

2(0 0 )

1, 11
= 1.8412

11 () =

1.8412
2(0 0 )

Given that 01 () 11 () = 1109

2.4049
2(0 0 )

1.8412
2(0 0 )

2.4049 1.8412
2(0 0 )

= 1109

= 1109

= 0.0269 2.7
The radius of the guide is 2.7cm
The corresponding cutoff frequencies for this waveguide given as:
01 () =

11 () =

2.4049
20.0269(0 0 )
1.8412
20.0269(0 0 )

= 4.266

= 3.266

2. Design a rectangular waveguide to operate in the frequency range 7.5 GHz 10GHz such
that:
i.

there is only one mode of propagation

ii.

the lowest usable frequency is 10% above the cut-off

iii.

the highest usable frequency is 5% below the frequency where the next higher order
mode can propagate.

Solution
The cutoff frequency =

1
2()

(( ) + ( ) ) =

The frequency band of interest = (7.5

(( ) + ( ) )

10) GHz

Condition 1
For a single mode operation, only the fundamental 10 propagates over the frequency band of
interest.
The single bandwidth of interest = 10 7.5 GHz = 2.5GHz depends on the cutoff frequency of the
second propagating mode.
The second possible propagating mode is either 01 20
Also, its known that:
1

(01 ) =

2()

(20 ) =

()

(10 ) =

2()

(1.a)

(1.b)

(1c)

From (1a), (1b), and (1c), (20 ) = 2 (10)

If a = b, (01 ) = (20 ) = 2 (10 )
Using condition 1, the operation can be expressed in terms of cutoff frequencies:
=

(01 ) + (20 )
7.5 + 10
=
2
2
1

( + ) = 8.75
2 2
3

(2)

 = 0.02571 2.571
Condition 2
The lowest usable frequency 0 is 10% above the cutoff frequency of the lower mode:
10
(10 )
100
0 = 1.1 (10 )

0 = (10 ) +

3108
0 = 1.1
= 1.1
= 7.5
2
2
= 0.022 = 2.2
Condition 3
The highest usable frequency, 1 = 5% below the next higher mode.
Either 1 = 0.95 (20 ) = 10GHz
Or
1 = 0.95 (01 ) = 10GHz
For 1 = 0.95 (20 ) = 10GHz,
0.95

= 10GHz
0.95 3108
=
= 0.0285 = 2.85
3109

For 1 = 0.95 (01 ) = 10GHz,

0.95

= 10GHz
=

0.95 3108
= 0.01425 = 1.425
23109

= . , . , . = .
Verification for the different values of a to ascertain to right values or range of values

()

()

( ) =

( ) =

( ) =

2.85

1.425

5.2632GHz

10.5264GHz

10.5263GHz

2.571

1.425

5.8343GHz

11.6696GHz

10.5263GHz

2.2

1.425

6.8182GHz

13.6364GHz

10.5263GHz

Condition 2 satisfaction
()

( ) =

Satisfaction

2.85

5.2632GHz

No

2.571

5.8343GHz

No

2.2

6.8182GHz

Yes

Condition 3 satisfaction
()

( ) =

Satisfaction

2.85

10.5264GHz

Yes

2.571

11.6696GHz

No

2.2

13.6364GHz

No

Condition 3 satisfaction
()
1.425

( ) =
10.5263GHz

Satisfaction
Yes

From the tables above,

The frequency value that satisfy the condition 2 is 6.8182GHz which corresponds to a = 2.2cm
The frequency value that satisfy the condition 3 is 10.5263GHz which corresponds to b = 1.425cm

3. A certain cubical cavity is required to resonate at 3 GHz. What is the smallest possible
size of this cavity and in which mode (or modes) does it resonate at this frequency.
Solution
, =

2
2
2
(( ) + ( ) + ( ) )

2()
1

For the cubical cavity a = b = d,

m, n, p denote the number of half wave variations in the x, y, and z directions respectively,
a, b, and c denote the x, y, and z dimensions of the rectangular cavity respectively.
At the first resonance, the three degenerate modes are 110 , 011 , 101 and these have
the same field patterns.
The resonant frequency for the degenerate modes is given by:
=

1
2

3108
3109 2

= 0.07071 7.1

4. An air-filled rectangular waveguide whose dimensions are 7.2 cm by 3.4 cm is modified, as

shown in the figure given in the next page, to form a 40 dB attenuator. This is achieved by
operating the waveguide below its cut-off. If the waveguide is operated in single mode singlemode at 3 GHz, determine

Solution

i.

The wavenumber at the operating frequency

=
But = 2 = 1/()
=

2(3109 )

ii.

3108

= 62.61491

The cut-off frequency for the waveguide

The Cut-off frequency is given by:

For single-mode operation, only the fundamental TE10 mode will be propagating:
10 , (10 ) =
iii.

1
2()

3108
=
= 2.0833
2
20.072

The cut-off frequency for the attenuating section of the waveguide

 () =
iv.

1
2()

3108
=
= 3.4722
2(0.6)
2(.6 0.072)

The attenuation constant,

2
= 10
2 = ((0.6) 2 ) = ((0.6) 62.83192 ) = 36.6149 /

v.

The length of the attenuating section

To obtain 40dB attenuation then;

() = 20 = 40
= 0.1258m == 12.58cm

5. Derive the modes in a lossy circular waveguide, their cutoff frequencies, and velocities
of propagation.
Solution

Fig. 1: Geometry of a Circular Waveguide [2]

The axis of the cylindrical structure is assumed to be along z-axis.
The general expressions for cylindrical coordinate fields are written as [1];

Where the vectors

the vectors
=

and
and
+

represent the transverse field components of the wave while

are the longitudinal components of the wave.

( )

(1a)

(1b)

(1c)

(2a)

 =
1

( )

(2b)

(2c)

The above equations, (1) and (2) are used to solve for the longitudinal field components in terms
of the transverse field components.
Using equation (1a) and (2b) for , we get
=

1
2

(3a)

Using equation (1b) and (2a) for , we get

=

1
2

(3b)

Using equation (1b) and (2a) for , we get

=

1
2

(3c)

Using equation (1a) and (2b) for , we get

=

1
2

(3d)

Where 2 is the cutoff wavenumber and is given by 2 = 2 + 2 == 2 + 2.

And = +
The value of is contains purely imaginary when there is a totally lossless system. As in reality
some loss always occurs, the propagation constant, will contain both real and imaginary parts,
and respectively.
TM Modes
The transverse fields of TM modes are found by simplifying the general guided wave equations in
(3) with = 0 . The resulting transverse fields for TM modes are:
=
=
=

(4a)

(4b)

(4c)

10

(4d)

The longitudinal electric field of the TM modes within the cylindrical waveguide must satisfy the
expression: 2 + 2 = 0
Where (, , ) = (, )
Inserting the expression for into the differential equation yields:
2 (, ) 1 (, )
1 2 (, )
+
+ 2
+ 2 (, ) = 0
2

2
The electric field function may be determined using the separation of variables technique by
assuming a solution of the form:

Inserting the assumed solution into the governing partial differential equation yields

Dividing by

gives

We multiply the expression above by

in order to make the third term dependent on

only.

The result is:

According to the separation of variables technique, we may set the

constant (

dependent term equal to a

). The resulting differential equation defining P( ) is

which has the general solution of

The function

must be periodic in

so that

11

must be an integer (n).

Replacing the third term with

gives

Equation (2) is known as Bessels equation which has solutions known as Bessel functions. We
may write the general solution to Bessels equation as:

Where

- nth order Bessel function of the first kind (argument

- nth order Bessel function of the second kind (argument

)
)

The Bessel function of the second kind approaches as its argument approaches zero. Since the
circular waveguide fields must be bounded at the origin ( = 0), then the constant D must be zero.

The longitudinal electric field function for the cylindrical waveguide TM modes is:

The TM boundary conditions for the cylindrical waveguide are

Application of the boundary condition on Ez yields:

Thus, the TM modes of the cylindrical waveguide are defined by

If we define the mth zero of the nth order Bessel function as pnm, then the TMnm mode cutoff
wavenumber is found by
=

The resulting transverse fields of the TMnm modes are

=

12

The cutoff frequency of the TMnm mode is given by

The propagation constant for the TMnm mode is

The velocities of propagation:

Phase velocity

Group velocity

13

6. Specify the cutoff frequencies for the first four TE and first four TM modes of an air-filled
circular waveguide with radius a=0.8cm. Draw a graph of frequency vs. Propagation showing
the frequencies at which each of these modes will propagate. Is there a frequency range in
which only one mode will propagate? If so, what is the range and what mode is propagating?
Solution
Below is table that shows the values of for TE Modes of a Circular Waveguide
n
0
1
2
3

3.832
1.841
3.054
4.201

7.016
5.331
6.706
8.015

10.174
8.536
9.970
11.346

Table 1: Values of for TE Modes of a Circular Waveguide [1]

() =

2(0 0 )

= 1/0 0 = 0.3
= 0.8 == 0.008
11 () =

1.841
= 10.9732
2

21 () =

3.054
= 18.2033
2

01 () =

3.832
= 22.8405
2

31 () =

4.201
= 25.0729
2

Below is table that shows the values of for TM Modes of a Circular Waveguide

14

n
0
1
2
3

2.405
3.832
5.135
6.380

5.520
7.016
8.417
9.761

3
8.654
10.174
11.620
14.373

Table 2: Values of for TM Modes of a Circular Waveguide [1]

() =

2(0 0 )

= 1/0 0 = 0.3
= 0.8 == 0.008

01 () =

2.405
= 14.3349
2

11 () =

3.832
= 22.8405
2

21 () =

5.145
= 30.6070
2

02 () =

5.520
= 32.9018
2

TE11

TE21

TE01 TE31
fc (GHz)

TM01

TM11

TM21 TM02

In the frequency range of 10.9732 - 14.3349 , only one mode will propagate.
And it is only the 11 Mode that propagates.
15

References
1. D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, 4th Edition, Pub.: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.,
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 2012.
2. Kibet Langat, PUE 3124 Microwave Engineering, Class notes. 2015.

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