MICROWAVE ENGINEERING

(22EC3602)
Module 2
MICROWAVE NETWORK
CHARACTERIZATION AND PASSIVE
DEVICES
 Module-3: MICROWAVE NETWORK CHARACTERIZATION AND PASSIVE DEVICES

The scattering Matrix – Reciprocity

Theorem- Lossless networks and unitary
conditions- ABCD parameters- Cascaded
networks-Relations between S- Y and
ABCD parameters. Properties and s
matrices for typical network such as
section of uniform transmission line, 3-
port networks (reciprocal and
nonreciprocal), T-junctions directional
coupler, magic tee, ferrite devices,
isolator, circulators
 Microwave Network
 It is formed when several microwave devices and
components such as sources, attenuators, resonators,
filters, amplifiers, etc. are coupled by transmission
lines or waveguides for the desired transmission of a
microwave signal.
 The point of interconnection of two or more devices is
called a junction.
 For a low- frequency network, a port is a pair of
terminals whereas for a microwave network, a port is
a reference plane transverse to the length of the
microwave transmission line or waveguide.
 At low frequency, the physical length of the network is
much smaller than the wavelength of the signal
transmitted.
 Therefore, the measurable input and output variables
A two-port network (a kind of four-terminal network or quadripole) is an electrical network (circuit) or device with two pairs of
areknown
requirementRF
voltage
Andas
and
the port condition:
Microwave
current which can be related in terms
terminals to connect to external circuits. Two terminals constitute a port if the currents applied to them satisfy the essential
the electric current entering one terminal must equal the current emerging from the
Communication
of on
other terminal the impedance
the same port Z parameters, or admittance Y
These relationships for a two-port network of figure 4.1 can be represented by
These relationships for a two-port
• These parameters, Z, Y, h and ABCD parameters can be easily
measured at low frequencies under short or open circuit conditions and
can be used for analysing the circuit.
• The physical length of the device or the line at microwave frequencies,
is comparable to or much larger than the wavelength. Due to this, the
voltage and current are difficult to measure as also the above
mentioned parameters. The reasons for this are listed as below.

a) Equipment is not available to measure the total voltage and total

current at any point.
b) Over a wide range of frequencies, short and open circuits are difficult
to realize.
c) Active devices such as power transistors, tunnel diodes etc, will
become unstable under short or open circuit conditions.
d) In microwave circuits, the voltage , current and impedances are called
secondary quantities as they cannot be measured directly.
The directly measureable quantities are standing wave ratio, field
minimum position and power.
These relationships for a two-port

The matrix which describes the relationship between

the scattered and incident wave amplitudes is known
as scattering matrix.

Therefore, a new representation is needed to overcome

these problems at microwave frequencies. The logical
variables are traveling waves rather than voltages and
currents and these variables are labelled as "Scattering
or S parameters".
These parameters for a two port network are
represented as shown in figure 4.2 .
Scattering Matrix

It is a square matrix which gives all the

combinations of power relationships between the
various input and output ports of a microwave
junction.
The scattering matrix of an n-port junction is a
square matrix of a set of elements which relate
incident and reflected waves at the port of the
junction.
The diagonal elements of the S-matrix
represents reflection coefficients & off diagonal
elements represent transmission coefficients.
Characteristics of S-matrix
It describes any passive microwave
component.
It exists for linear passive and time invariant
networks.
It gives complete information on reflection
and transmission coefficients.
 S-matrix for two-port network

The relationship. between the incident and reflected waves in terms of

scattering
coefficients can be written as
S-matrix for two-port network
S-matrix for two-port network

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S-matrix for two-port network

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 Reciprocity Theorem
In its simplest form, the reciprocity theorem states that
if an emf E in one branch of a reciprocal network
produces a current I in another, then if the emf E is
moved from the first to the second branch, it will cause
the same current in the first branch, where the emf has
been replaced by a short circuit.
OR
The theorem state that when some amount of voltage is
applied at one point (e.g., in branch k) in a passive
linear network,network
• A reciprocal that will produce
is one the the
in which current at any
transmission
other
of a point
signal(e.g.,
betweenbranch any m). The same
two ports amount
does not of
depend
current
on the(in branch
direction k) is produced when the same
of propagation.
voltage
• input isand applied in theports
output new location (branch m).
are interchangeable
(scattering parameter S21=S12, S13=S31, etc.)
• A network is known to be reciprocal if it is passive
and contains only isotropic materials.
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• Examples of reciprocal networks include cables and
Reciprocal network

A reciprocal network always has a symmetric S-parameter

matrix.
That means S21=S12, S13=S31, etc
A two-port S-parameter matrix is represented by:

where S21 is identical to S12.

Non- Reciprocal network

A non-reciprocal device does not have same

electrical characteristics in all direction.
Examples of non-reciprocal networks are RF
amplifiers and isolators.
Lossless Network
 In any lossless passive network, its containing no
resistive elements, always the power entering the circuit
will be equal to the power leaving the network.
Unitary property for a lossless junction

For any lossless network the sum of the products of

each term of any one row or of any column of the S-
matrix multiplied by its complex conjugate is unity.
PROPERTIES OF S-PARAMETER
1). S- matrix is always a square matrix of order N×N for
an N-port network and its elements are complex
quantities (real and imaginary parts).

2.) Zero diagonal element for perfect matched

network :
For an ideal N-port network with matched
terminations , since there is no reflection from any port.
Therefore, under perfect matched conditions, the
diagonal elements of [S] are zero.

3) S- matrix is symmetric for reciprocal network:

A reciprocal device has the same transmission
characteristics in either direction of a pair of ports and
is characterised by a symmetric scattering matrix

which results [S]t=[S]. This property is known as

Proof:

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Proof:
4.) S-matrix has unitary property for a lossless network:
For a lossless N-port network S-matrix satisfies the
following unitary property.
i) The sum of the products of each term of any row or
any column of the S matrix multiplied by its complex
conjugate is unity.

ii) The sum of the products of each term of any row or any
column of the S-matrix multiplied by the complex conjugate of a
different row or column, respectively, is zero.
Proof:
Proof:
ation between S and ABCD parameters
ation between S and ABCD parameters

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ation between S and ABCD parameters
Relation between [S] and [Z] parameter
Relation between [S] and [Z] parameter
Relation between [S] and [Z] parameter
Relation between [S] and [Y] parameter
Relation between [S] and [Y] parameter
Common properties for [S], [Z], [Y]
Number of elements are equal.
For reciprocal devices, both [Z] and [S] satisfy reciprocity
properties.
Zij = Zji , Sij = Sji
If [Z] is symmetrical, [S] is also symmetrical.
vantages of [S] over [Z] or [Y]
In microwave techniques, the source remains ideally
constant in power, regardless of circuit changes.
Besides frequency measurements, the only other
possible measurement parameters are VSWR, power
and phase. These are essentially measurements of b/a,
|a|^2 and |b|^2 . Such a direct correspondence is not
• possible with property
The unitary [Z] or [Y]of
representations.
[S] helps a quick check of the
power balance of lossless structures. No such
immediate check is possible with [Z] or [Y].

• [S] is defined for a given set of reference planes only.

If the reference planes are changed, the S-
coefficients vary only in phase. This is not the case
in [Z] or [Y], because voltage and current are
functions of complex impedance and therefore, both
magnitude and phase change in [Z] and [Y].
 Waveguide
A waveguide is a structure that is used to guide
electromagnetic waves such as radio waves and
microwaves.
It serves to channel radio waves in a specific
dimension and in a specific shape, allowing them to
travel longer distances from the source toward the
antenna and to travel only in a predetermined area in
order to avoid interference and collision with
other waves.
Waveguides often come in the form of hollow
conductive metal tubes or pipes that vary in size and
shape depending on the wave being propagated.
 Advantages of Waveguides
Waveguides are easy to manufacture.
They can handle very large power.
Power loss is very negligible in waveguides.
They offer very low loss.
When microwave energy travels through
waveguide, it experiences lower losses than a
coaxial cable.
Types of Waveguides
 Waveguide Sections
Waveguide sections are used for low-loss transmission,
change of direction and polarization of the signal.
Sections may be straight with rectangular or circular
cross sections, rectangular twisted sections in either E
or H planes, rectangular bends, circular flexible section,
rectangular or circular tapered section, and transition
from circular to rectangular cross sections.
The standard waveguides are made of brass, bronze or
aluminium.
For high frequency bands, the surface is finished with
silver coatings to minimize ohmic loss.
The S-matrix for ideal sections are
[S]= |0 1|
|1 0|
 A Waveguide Tee is a 3-port device that can be
Waveguide Tee

used to either divide or combine power in a

waveguide system.
It is formed when three waveguides tubes are
connected in the form of the English alphabet
'T'. This is where its name is derived from.
There are a number of different types of
waveguide junction that can be used.
 Each type having different properties - the
different types of waveguide junction affect the
energy contained within the waveguide in
different ways.
 When selecting a waveguide junction balances
between performance and cost need to be made
and therefore an understanding of the different
Types of Waveguide Tee Junctions:

 There are a number of different types of

waveguide junction.
 The major types are listed below:
1. H-type T Junction
2. E-Type T Junction
3. Magic T waveguide junction
4. Hybrid Ring Waveguide Junction
E-Plane Waveguide Tee
•When the axis of
the side arm is
parallel to the
Electric Field (E) of
the collinear, then
the tee is called a
E-Plane Tee
Junction.
• If the input signal is fed to port 3,
then the output will be split across port
1 and 2 and will be 180 degrees out of •The outputs we
phase with each other. get in this type of
•If two in-phase input waves are fed
into ports 1 and 2 of the collinear arm, tee are 180° out of
the output waves at port 3 will be phase with each
opposite in phase and subtractive.
Working :E-Plane Waveguide Tee
H-Plane Waveguide Tee
When the axis of the side arm of the waveguide
tee is parallel to the flow of the Magnetic Field
(H) from port 1 and is perpendicular to the flow
of the Electric Field (E), then the tee is called a
H-Plane Waveguide Tee.
H-Plane Waveguide Tee
An H-Plane Waveguide Tees can be thought of
as a two way in-phase power divider/combiner
i.e it is additive in nature.
 When two input signals are fed to port 1 & 2,
the output at port 3 is in phase and additive.
When the input signal is fed to port 3, the
signal is split into two equal parts that are in-
phase at port 1 & 2.

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Hybrid or Magic T waveguide
junction

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Magic Tee

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Applications of Magic Tee
E-H tuner for impedance matching
Balanced mixer in a microwave super-
heterodyne receiver to balance out the local
oscillator noise at the IF amplifier input.
Power combiner and duplexer
Magic tee as microwave mixer

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 A duplexer is a circuit
which couples the
transmitter and receiver
to the antenna while
producing isolation
between the transmitter
and receiver.

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Directional Coupler
 Directional Coupler is a 4-port waveguide junction
consisting of a primary main waveguide and a
secondary auxiliary waveguide.
 A Directional coupler is a device that samples a
small amount of Microwave power for measurement
purposes. The power measurements include incident
power, reflected power, VSWR values, etc.
 Directional coupler is used to couple the Microwave
power which may be unidirectional or bi-directional.
Directional Coupler

Port 4

Port 3
Properties of Directional Couplers
The properties of an ideal directional coupler are as
follows.
All the terminations are matched to the ports.
When the power travels from Port 1 to Port 2, some
portion of it gets coupled to Port 4 but not to Port 3.
As it is also a bi-directional coupler, when the
power travels from Port 2 to Port 1, some portion of
it gets coupled to Port 3 but not to Port 4.
If the power is incident through Port 3, a portion of
it is coupled to Port 2, but not to Port 1.
If the power is incident through Port 4, a portion of
it is coupled to Port 1, but not to Port 2.
Port 1 and 3 are decoupled as are Port 2 and Port 4.
 Ideally, the output of Port 3 should be zero. However, practically, a

small amount of power called back power is observed at Port 3. The

following figure indicates the power flow in a directional coupler.

Performance of directional
coupler
The performance of directional coupler is
measured in terms of four basic parameters
Coupling factor (C)
Transmission loss (T)
Directivity (D)
Return loss (R)
Performance of directional
coupler
 C (dB)= 10 log (Input power/ Coupled output power)
= 10 log (P1/P4)

 D (dB) = 10 log (Coupled output power/ Isolated port power)

= 10 log (P4/ P3)

 T (dB) = 10 log (Input power/ Direct-line output power)

= 10 log (P1/ P2)

 R (dB) = 10 log (Input power/ Reflected output power at input)

= 10 log (Pi/Pr)
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Types of Waveguide directional
Coupler

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The theory of the waveguide coupler was first established by ‘Bethe’,
using a single hole in the common broad wall of two rectangular
waveguides, commonly known as Bethe-hole directional coupler.
Practical waveguide directional couplers are multihole couplers in
which theMicrowave
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coupling response vs frequency can be achieved
by proper selection of the number of holes and size of the holes.
Two-Hole Directional Coupler
Two-Hole Directional Coupler
A fraction of the wave energy entered into
port 1 passes through the holes and is
radiated into the secondary guide.
The forward waves in the secondary guide
are in the same phase, regardless of the
hole space, and are added at port 4.
The backward waves in the secondary
guide (waves are progressing from right to
left) are out of phase by (2L/λg)2π rad and
are cancelled at port 3.
S Matrix of a Directional
Coupler
Applications of Directional
Coupler
Applications of Directional
Coupler

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Ferrite Devices
Ferrite is a high resistance magnetic material and
it consists of mainly ferrite oxide and one or more
other metals.
Ferrite material is extremely useful in microwave
frequencies.
Ferrite is made by inserting metallic atoms into
iron oxide in place of some of the iron atoms.
The addition of zinc atoms in iron oxide forms zinc
ferrite (ZnFeO3).
The addition of manganese forms manganese
ferrite (MnFe2O3).
Similarly NiFe2O3, CuFe2O3, CdFe2O3 are created.
Salient Features
Ferrite is a high resistance magnetic
material.
Electromagnetic waves pass through
ferrites with negligible attenuation.
The EM wave propagation undergoes phase
shift and attenuation.
The attenuation and phase shift due to
ferrites are influenced by the applied d.c.
magnetic fields.
Ferrites are used at microwave frequencies.
Microwave propagation in
ferrites
Application of Ferrites
Isolators
Circulators
Phase changers
Switches
Inductors as core material
Miniature antennas
Limiters
Memories
Microwave Circulators
A four port circulator using two
magic-T’s

E
E
c d

T1
H H
a b
Schematic diagram of four-port
Circulator
Circulator
Circulator

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Circulator
Circulator
Applications of Circulator
A circulator can be used as a Duplexer for a
Radar antenna system.
Two three port circulator can be used in
tunnel diode or parametric amplifiers.
Circulators can be used as low power
devices as they can handle low power only.

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Microwave Isolators
Microwave Isolators

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Faraday-Rotation Isolator
Faraday-Rotation Isolator
Faraday-Rotation Isolator