Lab Manual

Aim of Experiment:
Study of field patterns of various modes inside a rectangular waveguide.

Requirement:
You have to install a LabVIEW Run time Engine on your computer to run the exe file in order to
perform the experiment. The Run Time Engine can be downloaded free of cost from the following link:
http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/1101/lang/en

Knowledge Required for the Experiment:

Waveguides
Wave behavior inside a waveguide
Configuration of Modes (TE mn , TM mn )
Cut off frequency
Surface current density

Objective of Experiment:
This experiment provides the field patterns of various modes inside a rectangular waveguide. This
gives the basic idea of the change in the field pattern; that is, electric and magnetic field patterns with
the change in modes inside a rectangular waveguide. One can observe the field patterns of various
modes in xy, xz and yz planes for different frequency bands. Surface current density can also be
observed on the walls of a rectangular waveguide.

Fig.1 Rectangular Waveguide

Theory:
Electromagnetic waves propagating in open space travel out in all directions. The power intensity of
these waves decreases as the distance increases - it is proportional to the power of the source
divided by the square of the distance. The waveguide operates by confining the electromagnetic
wave inside a metallic structure so that it does not spread out, and losses resulting from this effect
are eliminated. In electromagnetics, the term waveguide may refer to any linear structure that guides
electromagnetic waves between two endpoints. Typically a waveguide is thought of as a transmission

line comprising a hollow conducting tube, which may be rectangular or circular within which
electromagnetic waves are propagated. Unlike coaxial cable, there is no centre conductor within the
waveguide. Signals propagate within the confines of the metallic walls that act as boundaries. The
signal is confined by total internal reflection from the walls of the waveguide. Waveguides are used
principally at frequencies in the microwave range. Waveguides will only carry or propagate signals
above a certain frequency, known as the cut-off frequency. Below this the waveguide is not able to
carry the signals. The cut-off frequency of the waveguide depends upon its dimensions.
Rectangular Waveguide
A rectangular waveguide is a hollow metallic tube with a rectangular cross section. The conducting
walls of the waveguide confine the electromagnetic fields and thereby guide the electromagnetic
wave. The rectangular waveguide is basically characterized by its dimensions i.e., length a and
breadth b.

Fig. 2 Waveguide structure with dimension a and b

Modes: Electromagnetic waveguides are analyzed by solving Maxwell's equations, or their reduced
form, the electromagnetic wave equation, with boundary conditions determined by the properties of
the materials and their interfaces. These equations have multiple solutions, or modes, which are
eigen functions of the equation system. Each mode is therefore characterized by an eigenvalue,
which corresponds to a cutoff frequency below which the mode cannot exist in the guide
Waveguide propagation modes depend on the operating wavelength and polarization and the shape
and size of the guide. The modes of the waveguide are typically classified into following types:
TE modes (Transverse Electric) have no electric field component in the direction of propagation.
TM modes (Transverse Magnetic) have no magnetic field component in the direction of
propagation.
TEM modes (Transverse Electromagnetic) have neither electric nor magnetic field component in the
direction of propagation.
Field Theory: As we know, an electromagnetic field is comprised of electric and magnetic fields which

are perpendicular to each other. These fields have different patterns for each mode. These patterns
depend upon the mode numbers (m and n) and the dimensions (a and b) of the waveguide. The
electric field and magnetic field pattern are different for various modes in different waveguides. The
electric field component of an EM wave is characterized by Ex, Ey and Ez components of the wave.
Similarly, the magnetic field component of an EM wave is characterized by Hx, Hy and Hz
components of the wave. These components are usually plotted on an XY plane which shows the
field pattern for both the fields.

Field Equations:
For

mode, the field equations for a rectangular waveguide are:[2]

For

mode, the field equations for a rectangular waveguide are:

Procedure:
Step 1: Select the frequency band in which you wish to see the field pattern.
Step 2: Select the type of mode, i.e. either Transverse Electric (TE) or Transverse magnetic (TM).
Step 3: Select pattern:
Electric Field: Select this to view the electric field pattern of the given mode.
Magnetic Field: Select this to view the magnetic field pattern of the given mode.
Surface Current: Select this option to view the surface current density for TE10 mode.
Step 4: Enter the values of m and n to obtain the field pattern, where m stands for number of half
waves of electric or magnetic intensity in the X- direction, and n stands for number of half waves in
the y direction if the propagation of wave is in z direction.

Step 5: Run the VI up to see the desired field pattern in XY, YZ and XZ planes. In case, you wish to
see the other field pattern then click stop and repeat steps 1-4 before running the program again.

Task:
1. Plot the electric and magnetic field patterns for TE11 mode in X-band inside a rectangular
waveguide. Explain the field patterns with proper reasons.
2. Plot the electric and magnetic field patterns for TM11 mode and also check for TM10 mode and
check if the mode exists, explain the facts behind the behavior of the mode.

Summary:
From the experiment, we can observe the field patterns of various modes inside a rectangular
waveguide in xy, yz and zx planes. This also shows the current density variation in TE10 mode in all
three planes. Here, one can observe the field patterns for various frequency bands. One can correlate
the above mentioned field equations with the field patterns of various modes and can develop better
understanding of the modes of the rectangular waveguides.

References:
1. "Microwave Devices and Circuits", Third Edition, Edition, Samuel Y.Liao
2. "Field and Wave Electromagnetics", Second Edition, David K.Cheng
3. "Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating System", Edward C.Jordan, Keith G.Balmain