EMF 2016

ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY
UNIFORM PLANE WAVES
(Extra notes)
 Time domain expression (instantaneous
expression) of a plane wave propagating
in lossless medium, = 0.
Propagation direction = +z
Magnitude (a value)
(can be any direction)

Electric field, E( z, t ) x E0 cos( t z)

Phase constant k
Electric field vector direction = +x (a value)
(can be any direction) Angular frequency, 2f
(a value)
 The associated magnetic field can be found using

H 1/ k E
Cross operation

where = intrinsic impedance of the medium where the wave propagates

k = direction of propagation, NOT phase constant!
= electric field
E
Two main information from this formula:
1. The vector direction of the associated magnetic field, H is obtained by
cross operation of propagation direction with the electric field vector direction
2. The magnitude of the magnetic field = magnitude of electric field divided by
intrinsic impedance
Given the electric field,

E( z, t ) x E0 cos( t z)
From the above equation,
propagation direction = z , electric field vector direction = x
Therefore, magnetic field vector direction = z x = y

The magnitude of magnetic field = magnitude of electric field /intrinsic impedance

Therefore, the associated magnetic field is

E0
H( z, t ) y cos( t z )

Phasor domain expression of a plane
wave propagating in lossless medium

The purpose of writing the equation in phasor

domain is to get rid of the term cos t
To convert the time domain expression
E( z, t ) x E0 cos( t z)
to a phasor form, just change
cos( t z ) to e j z

Therefore, the phasor domain expression for E-field

is j z
E x E e0
 POLARIZATION OF PLANE WAVES
If the wave has only one component, it is linearly polarized in
the electric field vector direction.
For example,

E( z, t ) x E0 cos( t z) is linearly polarized in x direction.

If the wave has two components, the polarization depends on the phase difference,

E x E0 cos t z y E0 cos t z

x component y component
= phase difference between y & x component,
NOT skin depth!
If = 0 or = , linearly polarized,
if = /2, left-hand circularly polarized
If = -/2, right-hand circularly polarized
If is other than these 4 angles, it is elliptically polarized
SENSE OF POLARIZATION
Linear elliptical circular elliptical

(LH)

(RH)
 Time domain expression of a plane wave
propagation in lossy media ( 0)
Electric field,
z
E( z, t ) xE0e cos( t z )

As compared to lossless case, the equation has additional term

where = attenuation constant, z = the direction of propagation.

The associated magnetic field,

E0
H( z, t ) y e z cos( t z )
| c |

where is the magnitude of the intrinsic impedance,

is the phase angle of the intrinsic impedance.

For good conductor, = 45
 Normal incidence at plane dielectric
boundary
Medium 2 (2 , 2)

2
1 1 2
1 2
0
0 (for nonmagnetic (for nonmagnetic
r1 Medium)
r2 Medium)

Using 1 & 2 , reflection coefficient and transmission coefficient can be obtained.

 Normal incidence at plane dielectric
boundary
Medium 1 (1 , 1) Medium 2 (2 , 2)

1. Incident field, Ei & Hi

Ht 1/2 k Et

Must obtain the electric field before

obtaining the corresponding magnetic field
Hr 1/1 k Er If all the above information are obtained,
the equations for all fields in both mediums
can be obtained
 COMMON MISTAKES IN TEST 3

= r 0

1. Wrong substitution of value into the formula. For example Question 1(c).

0 377

r 5 0 WRONG!! Because it should be relative permittivity, = 5
r

377
168.6
5

3. Wrong intrinsic impedance value used to find magnitude of electric field

Example: Question 2(c)

To obtain electric field expression, the relation below is used

E -k H
Ei z 0.037 153.91cos 6 107 t 2 y (V / m) X
Magnitude of H
Intrinsic impedance of medium 2!
WRONG because incident field is in medium 1, which is air

The correct answer is:

Ei z 0.037 377 cos 6 107 t 2 y (V / m)

Ei z13.95cos 6 107 t 2 y (V / m)
 4. Most students do not know how to obtain the correct transmitted
fields, given the incident fields.

The answer for Question 2(d) as below:

Et z13.95 cos 6 107 t 1.54 y (V / m)

2 obtained from part (a)
obtained in part (b), |Ei| obtained in part (c)
Vector direction = vector direction of incident electric field, Ei
Yield:
Et z 8.091cos 6 107 t 1.54 y (V / m)
To obtain Ht , use relation Ht 1/2 k Et

Ht x
8.091
2

cos 6 107 t 1.54 y ( A / m)

Ht x 52.57 cos 6 10 t 1.54 y (mA / m)

7

Be careful. Use the parameters for medium 2 (2, 2) in solving equation for
transmitted fields because transmitted field propagates in medium 2.