AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course aims at providing the basic competences about guided electromagnetic propagation. The course is focused on systems and devices operating at radio and microwave frequencies.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and laboratory experiences.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction and course organization

Guided electromagnetic waves

• Maxwell’s equations for cylindrical structures.
• Field behavior in the axial direction and in the transverse plane.
• Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions.
• Classification of modes and their computation.
• Effects of losses: perturbation method, conductor losses, dielectric losses.
• Wave properties: phase velocity and wavelength, group velocity, cutoff phenomena.

Guiding systems

• Parallel plate waveguide, rectangular and circular waveguide, coaxial line.
• Planar transmission lines: strip and microstrip lines, coplanar waveguide, slot line, substrate integrated waveguide.

Microwave network theory

• Modes as transmission lines: general form of telegrapher’s equations
• Field representation in guiding systems and power transfer.
• Review of transmission line theory and Smith chart.

Passive microwave components

• General description of components, their representations and scattering parameters.
• One-port components: loads, short and open circuits.
• Two-port components: discontinuities and junctions, transitions and adapters, attenuators, phase shifters, isolators, gyrators.
• Three-port components: T junctions, power dividers, circulators.
• Four-port components: directional couplers, hybrid junctions.
• Microwave resonators: quality factor and resonant cavities.

Laboratory experiences

1. Field computation and visualization with MATLAB.
2. Rectangular waveguides and their classification.
3. Measurements with slotted lines and waveguides.
4. Simulation of microwave components.
5. Experimental characterization of microwave devices.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes and slides of laboratory sessions.

Basic textbooks:

• R. E. Collin, Foundations for Microwave Engineering, New York: IEEE Press/John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
• D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011
• R. Sorrentino, G. Bianchi, Microwave and RF Engineering. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

Textbooks on advanced topics:

• R. Garg, I. Bahl, and M. Bozzi, Microstrip Lines and Slotlines, 3rd edition. Norwood, MA: Artech House, 2013.
• G. Pelosi, R. Coccioli, and S. Selleri, Quick Finite Elements for Electromagnetic Waves, 2nd edition. Norwood, MA: Artech House, 2009.
• N. K. Nikolova, Introduction to Microwave Imaging. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DANIELE CAVIGLIA (President)

ALESSANDRO FEDELI (President)

GIAN LUIGI GRAGNANI

MATTEO PASTORINO

MIRCO RAFFETTO

ANDREA RANDAZZO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the official time schedule.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

At least three questions are asked during the oral exam: the first one is chosen by the student, the second is about theory, the last one is practical (an exercise, typically).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

After this course, students should demonstrate to know the fundamentals of guided electromagnetic propagation, as well as the operating principles of standard guiding systems and basic passive microwave components.

Exam schedule