PARALLEL-PLATE WAVEGUIDES

Wave Equation
2 E 2 E 0

(1)

2 Ex 2 Ex 2 Ex
+
+
= - 2 Ex
2
2
2
x
y
z

2 Ey

2 Ey

2 Ey

(2a)

= - 2 E y

(2b)

2 Ez 2 Ez 2 Ez
+
+
= - 2 Ez
x 2
y 2
z 2

(2c)

PEC

z
y

PEC

Transverse Electric (TE) Modes

For a parallel-plate waveguide, the plates are infinite in the y-extent; we need to study the
propagation in the z-direction. The following assumptions are made in the wave equation

0, but
0 and
0
y
x
z

Assume Ey only
These two conditions define the TE modes and the wave equation is simplified to read

2 Ey
x

2 Ey
z

= - 2 E y

General solution (forward traveling wave)

(3)

-2E y ( x, z ) e j z z Ae j x x Be j x x

(4)

At x = 0, Ey = 0 which leads to A + B = 0. Therefore, A = -B = Eo/2j, where Eo is an arbitrary

constant
E y ( x, z ) Eo e j z z sin x x

(5)

x=a

x=0

At x = a, Ey(x, z) = 0. Let a be the distance separating the two PEC plates

Eo e j z z sin x a 0

(6)

xa = m, where m = 1, 2, 3, ...

(7)

This leads to :

or

m
a

(8)

Moreover, from the differential equation (3), we get the dispersion relation

z2 x2 2 2 ,

(9)

m
z

(10)

which leads to
2

where m = 1, 2, 3, ... Since propagation is to take place in the z direction, for the wave to
propagate, we must have z2 > 0, or
m

This leads to the following guidance condition which will insure wave propagation

(11)

-3f

m
2a

(12)

The cutoff frequency fc is defined to be at the onset of propagation

fc

m
2a

(13)

The cutoff frequency is the frequency below which the mode associated with the index m will
not propagate in the waveguide. Different modes will have different cutoff frequencies. The
cutoff frequency of a mode is associated with the cutoff wavelength c

v
2a
=
fc
m

(14)

Each mode is referred to as the TEm mode. From (6), it is obvious that there is no TE0 mode and
the first TE mode is the TE1 mode.
Magnetic Field

From

E = - j H

(15)

we have
1
H
j

Ey

(16)

which leads to

Hx

Hz

z
Eo e j z sin x x

jx

Eo e j z z cos x x

As can be seen, there is no Hy component, therefore, the TE solution has Ey, Hx and Hz only.

(17)
(18)

-4x

From the dispersion relation, it can be shown that the propagation vector components satisfy the
relations

z = sin, x = cos

(19)

where is the angle of incidence of the propagation vector with the normal to the conductor
plates.
The phase and group velocities are given by
v pz

and vg

f c2
f2

f2

c 1 c2
z
f

The effective guide impedance is given by:

TE

Ey
H x

o
f c2
f2

Transverse Magnetic (TM) modes

The magnetic field also satisfies the wave equation:
2 H + 2 H = 0

(20)

2 H x 2 H x 2 H x
+
+
= - 2 H x
2
2
2
x
y
z

2 H y

2 H y

2 H y

(21a)

= - 2 H y

(21b)

2 H z 2 H z 2 H z
+
+
= - 2 H z
2
2
2
x
y
z

(21c)

For TM modes, we assume

-5

0, but
0 and
0
y
x
z

Assume Hy only
These two conditions define the TM modes and equations (21) are simplified to read
2 H y
x

2 H y
z

= - 2 H y

(22)

General solution (forward traveling wave)

H y ( x, z ) e j z z Ae j x x Be j x x

(23)

From H = -j E

(24)

we get

y
0

Hy

(25)

This leads to

Ex ( x, z)

z j z
Ae j x Be j x
e

(26)

E z ( x, z )

x j z
Ae j x Be j x
e

(27)

At x=0, Ez = 0 which leads to A = B = Ho/2 where Ho is an arbitrary constant. This leads to

H y ( x, z ) H o e j z z cos x x

Ex ( x, z)
Ez ( x, z )
At x =a, Ez = 0 which leads to

z
Hoe j z cos x x

j x

H o e j z z sin x x

(28)
(29)

(30)

-6-

xa = m, where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...

(31)

This defines the TM modes which have only Hy, Ex and Ez components.
The effective guide impedance is given by:

TM

Ex
f c2

o 1 2
Hy
f

NOTE: THE DISPERSION RELATION, GUIDANCE CONDITION AND CUTOFF EQUATIONS FOR A PARALLEL-PLATE WAVEGUIDE ARE THE SAME FOR TE AND TM
MODES.
Equation (31) defines the TM modes; each mode is referred to as the TMm mode. It can be seen
from (28) that m=0 is a valid choice; it is called the TM0, or transverse electromagnetic or TEM
mode. For this mode x=0 and,
H y H o e j z z
Ex

(32)

H o e j z
H o e j z

(33)

Ez 0

(34)

where z = , and in which there are no x variations of the fields within the waveguide. The
TEM mode has a cutoff frequency at DC and is always present in the waveguide.
x=a

E
z

x=0

TEM mode
Time-Average Poynting Vector

TE modes
P

1
Re E H *
2

(35)

-7P

1
Re y E y x H x* z H z*
2

2
2

Eo
1 Eo
2
z sin x x x j
x cos x x sin x x
P Re z
2

(36)

(37)

E
P z o z sin 2 x x
2

(38)

TM modes
P

1
Re E H *
2

(39)

1
Re x E x z E z y H *y
2

(40)

2
2

Ho
1 H o
2

z cos x x xj
x sin x x cos x x
P Re z

(41)

H
P z o z cos 2 x x
2
The total time-average power is found by integrating <P> over the area of interest.

(42)