Chapter 2

Uniform Plane Waves

Waves radiated by EM source

Radiating antenna

Spherical
wavefront
• The simplest electromagnetic waves are uniform
plane waves propagating along some fixed
direction, say the z-direction, in a lossless
medium.
• The assumption of uniformity means that the
fields have no dependence on the transverse
coordinates x, y and are functions only of z, t.
Thus, we look for solutions of Maxwell’s
equations of the form:
• E(x, y, z, t)= E(z, t) and H(x, y, z, t)= H(z, t).
 Definition
• A uniform plane wave is a particular solution
of Maxwell’s equations with E assuming the
same direction, same magnitude, and same
phase in infinite planes perpendicular to the
direction of propagation(similarly for H)
• The existence of propagating electromagnetic waves
can be predicted as a direct consequence of
Maxwell’s equations (Maxwell, 1865).
Waves radiated by EM source: to a
distant observer

Uniform plane
wave
• The simplest electromagnetic waves are
uniform plane waves propagating along
some fixed direction, say the z-direction, in
a lossless medium {,μ}.

• The assumption of uniformity means that

the fields have no dependence on the
transverse coordinates x, y and are
functions only of z, t. Thus, we look for
solutions of Maxwell’s equations of the
form:
• E(x, y, z, t)= E(z, t) and H(x, y, z, t)= H(z, t).
• Variation, or modulation, of the
properties of wave(amplitude,
frequency, or phase) then allows
information to be carried in the wave
between its source and destination,
which is the central aim of a wireless
communication system.
 Plane waves in lossless media

• The source free wave eqns in nonconducting simple media

becomes a homogeneous vector Helmholtz’s eqn:

• 𝛻 2 E + 𝑘02 E= 0

• ……….rad/m

• k is the wave number

Instantaneous expressions
 Traveling Wave.
A pebble thrown into a pond will produce concentric circular
ripples which move outward from the point of impact.
• Intrinsic impedance of medium

• Finding H from E of a uniform plane wave

• Relation between propagation constant and

wavenumber
The electric and magnetic fields of a time
harmonic uniform plane wave propagating in the
+ z direction are:

• Ex(z,t) = C1 cos (ωt-βz)

C1
• Hy(z,t) = cos (ωt-βz)
η
 Transverse Electromagnetic Wave
• E = ax Ex propagating in the +z-direction has
associated with it a magnetic field H = ay Hy .

• E and H are perpendicular to each other and

both are transverse to the direction of
propagation.

• It is a particular case of a transverse

electromagnetic(TEM) wave.
 Low Loss
Dielectric
Lossy
Uniform Good
Plane waves Conductor
Lossless
• In low loss lossy medium the homogeneous
vector Helmotz’s eqn to be solved is
Type equation here.

• 𝛻 2 E + 𝑘𝑐 2 E= 0

• Where 𝑘𝑐 is the wavenumber = 𝜔 𝜇𝜖𝑐

• 𝑘𝑐 is a complex number
• The propagation constant, 𝛾 = 𝑗𝑘𝑐 =𝑗𝜔 𝜇𝜖𝑐
• 𝛾 = 𝛼 + 𝑗𝛽
• The Helmholtz eqn becomes
• 𝛻2𝐸 − 𝛾 2𝐸 = 0
• The solution of eqn above, representing a
uniform plane wave propagating in the z-
direction is
• 𝑬 = 𝒂𝒙 𝐸𝑥
• 𝐸𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛾𝑧
• Assumed the wave is linearly polarized in the x-
direction
• 𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 𝑒 −𝑗𝛽𝑧

• Where 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 is an attenuation factor

• 𝛼 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 (Np/m)
• 𝑒 −𝑗𝛽𝑧 is a phase factor
𝑟𝑎𝑑
• 𝛽 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡( )
𝑚
• The propagation constant, 𝛾 = 𝑗𝑘𝑐 =𝑗𝜔 𝜇𝜖𝑐
1Τ
𝜎 2
• (Eq. 8-44) 𝛾 = 𝛼 + 𝑗𝛽 = 𝑗𝜔 𝜇𝜖 1 +
𝑗𝜔𝜖
1Τ
𝜖′′ 2
• Or (Eq. 8-45) 𝛾 = 𝛼 + 𝑗𝛽 = 𝑗𝜔 𝜇𝜖′ 1 +𝑗
𝜖′

• Where 𝛼 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛽 are the real and imaginary parts of 𝛾.

• For lossless medium 𝜎 = 0(𝜖 " = 0, 𝜖 = 𝜖 ′ ),
• 𝛼 = 0, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛽 = 𝑘 = 𝜔 𝜇𝜖
• Complex permittivity: 𝜖𝑐 = 𝜖 ′ − 𝑗𝜖′′
• 𝜎 = 𝜔𝜖′′
Low-loss dielectric
Good Conductor
• Attenuation constant and phase constant of a
good conductor are equal

• Skin depth or depth of penetration, 𝛿 is the

distance through which the amplitude of a
travelling wave decreases by a factor of
𝑒 −1 𝑜𝑟 0.368
• Finding skin depth from conductivity and
permeability of conductor and frequency
• Since α = β for a good conductor, δ can also be
written as

• Definition of phase velocity

Skin Depth of Various Materials
 Phase Velocity
• Phase velocity of a single frequency plane
wave as the velocity of propagation of an
equiphase wavefront:

𝜔
• 𝑢𝑝 =
𝛽
 Group Velocity
• However normally signals consists of band of
frequencies, waves of the component
frequencies travel with different phase
velocities, causing a distortion in the signal
waveshape.
• The signal “disperses”
• The signal distortion= dispersion
• Lossy dielectric is a dispersive medium
Formula for group velocity in dispersive media
 Flow of Electromagnetic Power and
the Poynting Vector
• Electromagnetic waves carry with them
electromagnetic power.
• Energy is transported through space to distant
receiving points by electromagnetic waves.
• We begin with the curls equations:
• Power flow per unit area defined by quantity
(E x H)
 Instantaneous and Average Power Density
• Time harmonic electromagnetic waves using phasor notation.
• The instantaneous value of a quantity is the real part of the product of
the phasor quantity
• Eg. For the phasor
• 𝐸 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑥 𝐸𝑥 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑥 𝐸0 𝑒 − 𝛼+𝑗𝛽 𝑧

• The instantaneous expression is;

• 𝐸 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑒 𝐸(𝑧)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 = 𝑎𝑥 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 𝑅𝑒 𝑒 𝑗 𝜔𝑡−𝛽𝑧

•
• = 𝑎𝑥 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜔𝑡 − 𝛽𝑧
• The corresponding instantaneous expression
for H(z) is;

• 𝐻 𝑧, 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑒 𝐻(𝑧)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡

𝐸0
• = 𝑎𝑦 = 𝑒 −𝛼𝑧 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜔𝑡 − 𝛽𝑧 − 𝜃η
η𝑐
• As far as the power transmitted by an electromagnetic wave is
concerned, its average value is a more significant quantity
than its instantaneous value.
• Average power density transmitted by a uniform plane wave
in z-direction:

• …………(W/m2)
2π
• 𝑇= ; Time period of the wave
𝜔
• In general case, we may not be dealing with a
wave propagating in the z-direction.

• General formula for average power density in

a propagating wave

• …………..(W/m2)
Wave incidence
Eg. Light traveling in air encounters the
water; another medium
Normal Incidence of Plane Waves at Plane
Boundaries
• In practice, waves often propagate in bounded
regions where several media with different
constitutive parameters are present.

• Consider the incident wave 𝐸𝑖 , 𝐻𝑖 in

medium 1 𝜖1 , 𝜇1 travels in +z direction
toward medium 2 𝜖2 , 𝜇2 .
• The boundary surface is in the z = 0 plane
Normal Incidence of plane wave
• The ratios of
𝐸𝑟0
is called the reflection coefficient, and
𝐸𝑖0

𝐸𝑡0
is called the transmission coefficient.
𝐸𝑖0

• Reflection and transmission coefficients

• ………(normal incidence)
•
 𝐸𝑡0 2η2
• 𝜏= = ……..(normal incidence)
𝐸𝑖0 η2 + η1

• Relation between reflection and transmission

coefficients for normal incidence:

• ………(normal incidence)
• The total field in medium 1 is the sum of the
incident and reflected fields.

• Consider medium 1 is a perfect dielectric (𝜎1 = 0) and

medium 2 is a perfect conductor(𝜎2 = ∞).

• 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒 , η2 = 0;

• ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 ᴦ = −1, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜏 = 0,
• 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑.
• The totally reflected wave combines with the
incident wave to form a standing wave.
• A standing wave “stands” and does not travel;
it consists of two traveling waves(𝐸𝑖 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐸𝑟 )
of equal amplitudes but in opposite
directions.
• The ratio of the maximum value to the
minimum value of the electric field intensity
of a standing wave is called the Standing Wave
Ratio(SWR).

• Standing wave ratio:

• ……………(Dimensionless)
• Finding the magnitude of reflection coefficient
from the standing wave ratio

• 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ᴦ 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 − 1 𝑡𝑜 + 1,

• 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑆 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 1 𝑡𝑜 ∞.
 Normal incidence on good conductor
• Good conductor 𝜎Τ𝜔𝜖 ≫ 1.
• Examples are metallic reflectors and waveguides.
Oblique Incidence of Plane Waves at Plane
Boundaries
 Snell’s law of Reflection

• 𝜃𝑟 = 𝜃𝑖

• The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of

incident.
Snell’s Law of Refraction
Snell’s Law of Refraction for 𝜇1 = 𝜇2
Total Reflection
• For 𝜃𝑖 > 𝜃𝑐 an evanescent wave exists along
the interface (in the x-direction), which is
attenuated rapidly in medium 2 in the normal
direction(z-direction).
• This wave is tightly bound to the interface and
is called a surface wave.
The ionosphere
Perpendicular and Parallel Polarization
Perpendicular and Parallel Polarization
Perpendicular polarization
Perpendicular polarization
Parallel Polarization
Parallel Polarization
• Brewster angle does not exist for perpendicular
polarization if 𝜇1 = 𝜇2 (usual case for wave media)