Lecture 16 (b)

Waves in Isotropic Media: Plasmas and Dispersive Media

In this lecture you will learn:

• Wave propagation in plasmas

• Wave propagation in dispersive media

• Phase and group velocities

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Plasmas

What is a Plasma?

A plasma is an assembly of positive and negative charged particles with a net zero
time-average charge density

Examples of Plasmas:

1) Gases in which the electrons have been stripped off the atoms – resulting in a
mixture of positive ions and electrons
Examples:
a) Surface of the Sun
b) Hydrogen ions and electrons in a fusion reactor
c) Earth’s Ionosphere

2) Atoms and electrons making up solids (semiconductors, metals, etc) can also be
described as a plasma - although in this case the positive charges are fixed

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Plasmas

+ve ions

-ve electron cloud

A solid state plasma

• In plasmas, electrons are not attached to any one particular positive ion (or atom)
but move about freely
• On average (spatial and temporal average), plasmas are charge neutral (i.e. electrons
tend to spend more time in the vicinity of the positive ions (or atoms) than away from
them – hence the pictures shown

A gaseous plasma
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Waves in Plasmas – Electron Dynamics

What happens when a plasma is subjected to a time-dependent E-field (like that
of a plane wave)?
r r
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z
In most plasmas, the positive ions (or atoms) are much heavier than the negative
electrons and one may ignore the motion of the ions in response to an E-field for
simplicity
E
x
r
k
H

z
+ve ions -ve electron cloud

r
r r at the location r from their average
Let the displacement of the electrons
position be given by the vector d (r , t )
Newton’s second law gives: r r
∂ 2 d (r , t ) r r r r
m 2
= F (r , t ) = −e E (r , t )
∂t
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Waves in Plasmas – Material Polarization
r r
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z
x E
r
k
H
z
r r
∂ d (r , t )
2 r r
m = − e E (r , t )
∂t 2
Use phasors to solve the differential equation:
r r r r
{
E (r , t ) = Re E (r ) e j ω t } r r r r
{
d (r , t ) = Re d (r ) e j ω t }
To get:
r r r r
⇒ − m ω 2 d (r ) = −e E (r )
r r e r r
⇒ d (r ) = 2
E (r )
mω
r r r r
Dipole moment phasor = p(r ) = −e d (r )

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Waves in Plasmas – Dielectric Permittivity

r r
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z
x E
r
k
H
z

r r e r r
⇒ d (r ) = 2
E (r )
mω
r r r r
Dipole moment phasor = p(r ) = −e d (r )

N e2 r r
[ ]
r r r r r r
Material polarization phasor = P (r ) = Np(r ) = N − e d (r ) = − E (r )
m ω2

Dielectric permittivity:
r r r r r r ⎡ N e2 ⎤ r r r r
D (r ) = ε o E (r ) + P (r ) = ε o ⎢1 − 2 ⎥ E (r ) = ε (ω ) E (r )
⎢⎣ m ε o ω ⎥⎦

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 r r Waves in Plasmas – Dispersion Relation
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z
x E
r
k
H
z

Dielectric permittivity
r r r r r r ⎡ N e2 ⎤ r r r r
D (r ) = ε o E (r ) + P (r ) = ε o ⎢1 − 2 ⎥ E (r ) = ε (ω ) E (r )
⎢⎣ m ε o ω ⎥⎦
⎡ N e2 ⎤ ⎡ ω p2 ⎤ N e2 plasma
ε (ω ) = ε o ⎢1 − ⎥ = ε ⎢1 − ⎥ ωp = frequency
2 o m εo
⎣⎢ m ε o ω ⎦⎥ ⎢⎣ ω 2 ⎥⎦
r r r r
A plane wave will satisfy the complex wave equation: ∇ 2 E (r ) = −ω 2 µo ε (ω ) E (r )

ω ω p2
Dispersion relation: k = ω µo ε (ω ) ⇒ k= 1−
c ω2
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Waves in Plasmas – Wave Propagation and Evanescent Waves

r r ⎡ ω p2 ⎤
Plane wave: E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z ε (ω ) = ε o ⎢1 − 2 ⎥
ω p2 ⎢⎣ ω ⎥⎦
ω
Dispersion relation: k = 1− 2 µo
c ω η (ω ) =
CASE 1 (ω > ωp ) ε (ω )
In this case one has normal wave propagation just as if the plasma was a dielectric
medium with refractive index n given by:
ε (ω ) ω p2
n= = 1− 2
εo ω
CASE 2 (ω < ωp )
ω ω p2 2
ω ωp
The dispersion relation becomes: k = 1− = −j − 1 = − jk ' ' (k ' = 0 )
c ω2 c ω2
Wavevector is completely imaginary ! E

Plane wave decays exponentially with

e − k '' z
distance (without any spatial
oscillations)
r r
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − j k z = xˆ Eo e − k '' z Evanescent wave
z

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Decaying Waves Vs Evanescent Waves
Decaying wave in a lossy/conductive Evanescent wave in a plasma ( ω < ωp )
medium
r r r r
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − jk ' z e − k '' z E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − k '' z
r r r r
⇒ E (r , t ) = xˆ Eo e − k '' z cos(ω t − k ' z ) ⇒ E (r , t ) = xˆ Eo e − k '' z cos(ω t )

z z

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Waves in Plasmas – Power Flow for Evanescent Waves

Evanescent waves (ω < ωp ): 1 µo k''
= = −j
η (ω ) ε (ω ) µo ω
Evanescent wave:
r r r r E k''
E (r ) = xˆ Eo e − k '' z ⇒ H (r ) = yˆ o e − k '' z = − j yˆ Eo e − k '' z
η (ω ) µo ω
H-field is 90-degrees out of phase with the E-field

Poynting vector and time average power per unit area:

r r 1
[
r r
] 1
[
r r r r
S (r , t ) = Re S (r ) = Re E (r ) × H * (r )
2 2
]
1 ⎡ Eo2 ⎤ No power is carried by
= Re ⎢ zˆ e − 2 k '' z ⎥ = 0
2 ⎣ (η (ω )) *
⎦
the evanescent wave

So if power is not traveling into the plasma, where is the power going?
reflecte
When ω < ωp all power in the d wave
Incident wave goes into the
plasma
reflected wave at the surface of w ave evanescent wave
Incident
the plasma

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Wave Propagation in Dispersive Media

Any medium for which the permittivity is a function of frequency is called a

dispersive medium

Example:
⎡ ω p2 ⎤
Plasmas: ε (ω ) = ε o ⎢1 − ⎥ ω ω p2
⎢⎣ ω ⎥⎦2 k = ω µo ε (ω ) = 1−
c ω2
You will see more examples of dispersive media later in the course
k

The k-vs-ω relations (or free space

the dispersion relations) ω
for a medium are usually k=
c ω ω p2
plotted as follows
k= 1−
c ω2
plasma

ωp ω
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Wave Packets - I
• Electromagnetic wave signals are transmitted not as plane waves of a particular
frequency : r −jkz
E (z ) = xˆ Eo e
or
r
[
E (z , t ) = Re xˆ Eo e j (ω t − k z ) ]
that extend in the z-direction from –ve infinity to +ve infinity, but in the form of
wave-packets that are somewhat localized in space

• A wave-packet is a linear superposition of plane waves of different frequencies:

r ⎡∞ dω ⎤
E (z , t ) = Re ⎢ ∫ xˆ E (ω ) e j (ω t − k (ω ) z )
⎣0 2π ⎥⎦

E(ω ) E(z,t) envelope

ω z
ωo

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Wave Packets - II

E(ω ) E(z,t) envelope

ω z
ωo

r ⎡∞ dω ⎤
E (z , t ) = Re ⎢ ∫ xˆ E (ω ) e j (ω t − k (ω ) z )
⎣0 2π ⎥⎦

Let: ω = ωo + ∆ω Change of variables

dk
k (ω + ∆ω ) = k (ωo ) + ∆ω Taylor expansion
dω ω =ωo

⎡ ⎛ k (ωo ) ⎞ ⎛ dk ⎞ ⎤
jωo ⎜⎜ t − z ⎟⎟ + j ∆ω ⎜ t − z⎟
r ⎢∞ ωo ⎝ dω ⎠ d ∆ω ⎥
⇒ E (z , t ) = Re ⎢ ∫ xˆ E (ωo + ∆ω ) e ⎝ ⎠
2π ⎥
⎢⎣ 0 ⎥⎦

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Phase and Group Velocities - I

E(ω ) E(z,t) envelope

ω z
ωo

⎡ ⎛ k (ωo ) ⎞ ⎛ dk ⎞ ⎤
jωo ⎜⎜ t − z ⎟⎟ + j ∆ω ⎜ t − z⎟
r ⎢∞ ˆ ωo ⎝ dω ⎠ d ∆ω ⎥
⇒ E (z , t ) = Re ⎢ ∫ x E (ωo + ∆ω ) e ⎝ ⎠
2π ⎥
⎢⎣ 0 ⎥⎦
ω
Define phase velocity vp as: v p =
k ω =ωo

dω
Define group velocity vg as: v g =
dk ω =ωo

⎡ − j ωo (z −v pt ) ∞ −j
∆ω
(z −v g t ) d ∆ω ⎤
r ⎢ ⎥
∫ xˆ E (ωo + ∆ω ) e
vp vg
⇒ E (z , t ) = Re ⎢e
0 2π ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Phase and Group Velocities - II
E(z,t)

ω
Phase velocity = v p =
k
dω
Group velocity = v g =
dk

⎡ − j ωo (z −v pt )∞ −j
∆ω
(z −v gt ) d ∆ω ⎤
r ⎢ ⎥
∫ xˆ E (ωo + ∆ω ) e
vp vg
E (z , t ) = Re ⎢e
0 2π ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
Indicates motion at Indicates motion at
the phase velocity the group velocity
• The envelope moves at the group velocity – this is the velocity at which energy in
the wave travels

• The oscillating field inside the envelope travels at the phase velocity

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

Example: A Gaussian Wave Packet

(ω −ωo )2 τ 2
−
E(ω ) E (ω ) = 2π τ Eo e 2

∆ω 2 τ 2
−
E (ωo + ∆ω ) = 2π τ Eo e 2
ωo ω

⎡ − j ωo (z −v p t ) ∞ ∆ω 2 τ 2 −j
∆ω
(
z −v g t ) ⎤
r − d ∆ω ⎥
E (z , t ) = Re ⎢⎢e
vp vg
⇒ ∫ xˆ 2π τ Eo e 2 e
−∞ 2π ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

⎡ (z −v g t )2 ⎤ envelope
⎢ − j v (z −v pt )
ωo −
r 2 (v g τ )2
⎥
⇒ E (z , t ) = Re ⎢e p
Eo e ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
(z −v g t )2 z
−
2 (v g τ )2 ⎡ω ⎤
( )
r
⇒ E ( z , t ) = Eo e cos ⎢ o z − v p t ⎥
⎢⎣ v p ⎥⎦

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

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 Phase and Group Velocities - III
Examples: k

Free Space:
ω
k=
ε (ω ) = ε o ω c
k=
c
ω 1 dω
vp = = =c vg = =c
k (ω ) µo ε o dk
ω
In free space both phase and group velocities are equal to c

Plasmas: k

⎡ ω p2 ⎤ ω ω p2
ε (ω ) = ε o ⎢1 − ⎥ k= 1− k=
ω
1−
ω p2
⎢⎣ ω 2 ⎥⎦ c ω2 c ω2
ω 1 c
vp = = =
k (ω ) µo ε (ω ) ω p2
1−
ω2
ωp ω
dω ω p2
vg = =c 1− 2 As ω → ωp from above, vp → ∞ and vg → 0
dk ω
ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University

ECE 303 – Fall 2005 – Farhan Rana – Cornell University