Читать книгу Introduction To Modern Planar Transmission Lines - Anand K. Verma - Страница 194

The discussion of dispersion in the uniaxial medium requires an understanding of the concept of isofrequency contours and isofrequency surfaces in the 2D and 3D k‐space. Figure (4.14a–d) explain the concept of isofrequency contours.

The wave propagation is considered in the isotropic (x‐y)‐plane. The dispersion relations for the 2D waves propagation in the isotropic medium and also in air medium are expressed as

(4.7.23)

At a fixed frequency ω, the above equations are equations of circles in the (k_x‐k_y)‐plane. Figure (4.14a) shows that the radius of the circle increases with an increase in frequency. It forms a light cone. Figure (4.14b) further shows the increase in the 2D wavevector at the increasing order of frequencies ω₁ < ω₂ < ω₃ < ω₄. The concentric contours of the wavevector are known as the isofrequency contours, displaying the dispersion relation. The light cone of the 2D dispersion diagram is generated by revolving Fig. (2.4) of the 1D dispersion diagram, shown in chapter 2, around the ω‐axis. Likewise, 3D isofrequency surfaces are obtained. It is discussed in the next section.

The propagating wave in the z‐direction is described by equation (4.7.12). The propagation constant of the waves must be real. So, the propagating waves are obtained only for , i.e. within the light cone. Outside the light cone, i.e. for , the waves are nonpropagating evanescent waves. Thus, the light cone divides the k‐space into the propagating and evanescent wave regions shown in Fig. (4.14a,c and d).

Further, any point P on the isofrequency contour surface, shown in Fig. (4.14b), connected to the origin O shows the direction of the wavevector. It is also the direction of the phase velocity v_p. The direction of the normal at point P shows the direction of the Poynting vector, i.e. the direction of the group velocity v_g. For an isotropic medium, both the v_p and v_g are in the same direction. It is noted that the wavefront is always normal to the wavevector . However, for the anisotropic medium, the phase and group velocities may not in the same direction. It is discussed below.

Figure 4.14 Dispersion diagrams of the wave propagating in the z‐direction in the isotropic medium.