ECE 675 - Fall 2017

ECE 675 - Radiation and Propagation of Electromagnetic Fields

Instructor: Omar M. Ramahi
Office Hours: 12:00-1:00 on Wednesdays, EIT 4154
Lecture time and location: Thursdays 8:30am-11:20am, EIT 3151

Course Description

This course is intended to lay the foundation for advanced studies in all fields of electromagnetics. The course starts with a generalized treatment of transmission lines using Green’ function theory. The wave phenomenon is then presented with focus on primary characteristics of the wave including dispersion. Current sheets are presented as a mathematical tool to generate arbitrary waveforms including specific modes in waveguiding structures. The scattering phenomenon is then introduced through scattering from multi-layered simple and complex (anisotropic) media. Throughout this course, emphasis will be placed on the admissibility of solutions to the wave equation in the presence of boundaries and media with relevance to surface waves and plasmonics. The course concludes with key electromagnetic theorems and wave transformation techniques.

Course Objectives

At the end of the course you should be able to:

  1. Understand the concept of Green’s function, especially as it relates to time-harmonic electromagnetic fields
  2. Formulate the problem of scattering and refraction from multi-layer media
  3. Understand the dispersion relationship arising from Maxwell equations
  4. Be able to formulate the radiation/scattering problems in terms of spatial harmonics
  5. Understand the fundamental concepts behind radiating systems such as antennas and apertures
  6. Understand the concept of surface waves
  7. Understand and formulate problems of wave propagation in isotropic and anisotropic media and the concept of backward waves and negative and positive media
  8. Understand the concept of waveguiding structures
  9. Understand the basic construction of the electromagnetic radiation/scattering problem in non-Cartesian coordinates such as cylindrical and spherical coordinates, and understand the concept of cylindrical and spherical harmonics
  10. Understand basic electromagnetic theorems

Required text

Lecture notes

Topics to be covered in lectures

Week 1: Introduction and review of Maxwell equations
Week 2: Material properties, power concepts and wave-matter interaction
Week 3: Dispersion relationship and spatial harmonics
Week 4: Radiation from infinite and finite sources
Week 5: Scattering and refraction from multi-layer structures
Week 6: Transverse Resonance, surface waves and plasmonics
Week 7: Radiating systems and antennas
Week 8: Propagation through isotropic and anisotropic media
Week 9: Waveguides in Cartesian coordinates
Week 10: Eigenvalue problems in electromagnetics
Week 11: Cylindrical harmonics
Week 12: Electromagnetic theorems
Week 13: Advanced Topics

Evaluation

The course grade will be based on 8-10 homework assignments, and a final examination. The breakdown is as follows:

Assignments 50%
Final Examination 50%