Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

Cylindrical Cavity Resonator

A Cylindrical cavity Resonator is formed by closing the ends of a cylindrical waveguide by
perfect conducting material. Consider a cylindrical cavity of radius ‘a’ and length‘d’ filled with a
lossless dielectric material having permittivity 𝜀 and permeability 𝜇 as shown.

o d
Y
a

Maxwell equations for harmonically varying fields in a source free lossless dielectric medium
are expressed as
  H  j  E (7)
  E   j  H (8)
. D  0 (9)
. B  0 (10)
Also D  E (11)
B  H (12)
JE (13)
Taking curl of (8) and substituting (12) we get
    E   j  (  H )
(  . E )   2 E   j  ( j   E )
 . D 
    E    E
2 2

  
 E   2   E
2
(14)
Similarly one can derive
2 H    2   H (15)
Eqs. (14) and (15) represent three dimensional electromagnetic wave equations.
Assuming that the electromagnetic wave is propagating along +z-direction, but in fact, there will
be only standing waves. The eq. (14) for z-component of electric field can be expressed as
 2 Ez    2   Ez
In cylindrical co-ordinate system this can be expressed as
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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

2 1  1 2 2
E  E  E  EZ    2   E z (16)
     z
2 z z 2 2 z 2

This is a second order partial differential equation which can be solved by using variable
separable method. Ez is a function of ρ, ϕ, z and t i.e.
E z  F (  ,  , z, t )
Let Ez  F (  ) F (  ) F ( z ) e j  t (17)
Using eq. (16) the eq. (17) can be expressed as
2 1  1 2 2
Ez  Ez  2 E z  2 EZ    2   E z
 2
    2
z
1 2 1  1 1 2 1 2
F (  )  F (  )  F ( )  F ( z)    2  
F ( )   2  F ( )    2 F ( )   2 F ( z)  z 2
1 2
Let F ( )   n 2
F ( )   2

1 2
And F ( z )   k z2
F ( z)  z 2

1 2 1  n2
Therefore F (  )  F (  )    2
   k 2

F ( )   2  F ( )   2
z

2
Or F ( )  n 2 F ( )  0 (18)
 2
2
F ( z )  k z2 F ( z )  0 (19)
z 2

2 1   n2 
F ( )  F ( )   k 2  2  F (  )  0
 2
    
Replacing ρ by kρρ we get
 2
1   n 2 
Or F (k   )  
F (k   )  1  F (k   )  0 (20)
 (k   ) 2 (k   )  (k   )  (k  ) 2 
  
Where k2   2    kz2
The general solutions for (18), (19) and (20) are
F ( )  An Cos n  Bn Sin n
F ( z )  M Cos k z z  N Sin k z z
F (k   )  J n (k   )  N n (k   )
The complete general solution is given by
Ez  J n (k   )  N n (k   ) ( An Cos n  Bn Sin n )E Cos k z z  F Sin k z z  e j  t (21)
Since Nn(kρ ρ) is infinite at hρ ρ = 0, hence it cannot be the part of general solution for a source
free conditions.

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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

Again from the boundary conditions the component Ez should be continuous at z=0 and z=d.
This implies that Ez = 0 at z = 0 and z = d,
Using the boundary condition Ez = 0 at z=0 in eq. (21) leads to constant M = 0
Using condition Ez =0 at z=d in eq. (21) gives kzd = pπ (where p= 1, 2, 3,4 …. )
p
or kz  (22)
d
Thus the complete solution of eq. (16) is
Ez  J n (h  )( An Cos n  Bn Sin n )N Sin k z z  e j  t (23)
Similarly one can arrive at a solution for Hz as
Ez  J n (h  )( An Cos n  Bn Sin n )N Sin k z z  e j  t (24)
The other field components like Eρ, Eϕ, Hρ and Hϕ can be derived in terms of Ez and Hz as
follows.
Maxwell curl equations in cylindrical co-ordinates can be expressed as
1 1 
  u u u
 z
 
   
 H    j   E  u   E u  E z u z 
   z 
 H   H H z 
 
 
1 1 
  u u u
 z
 
   
 E    j   H  u   H  u  H z u z 
   z 
 E  E H z 
 
 
1  
Or H  H  j   E (25A)
  z  z 
 
H  H z  j   E (25B)
z 
1  1 
( H  )  H  j   Ez (25C)
    
1  
Ez  E  j   H  (25D)
  z
 
E  Ez  j   H (25E)
z 
1  1 
( E )  E  j Hz (25F)
    
Multiplying eq. (25A) by -jωu we get

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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

 j   
Hz  ( j  H  )   2   E
  z
Substituting (25E) we have
 j      
Hz   E  E z    2   E
   z  z  
 j   2  
Or H z  2 E  E z   2   E
  z  z
Since each field component is a function of (Sin kzz) we have
 2
E z  jk z E z And E    k z2 E 
z z 2

 j   
Hence we have H z  k z2 E  jk z E z   2   E
  
 j   
Or
 
H z  jk z

 
E z   2    k z2 E  k 2 E

 j   jk 
Thus E  H z  2z Ez (26A)
 k  
2
k  
j   jk 
Similarly E  H z  z2 E (26B)
k  
2
 k   z
jk z  j 
H  Hz  E (26C)
k  
2
k 2  z
jk z  j 
H  Hz  2 Ez (26D)
 k  
2
k  
Two important cases are
Case 1: Transverse Magnetic (TM) Mode
In this Case Ez≠0 , Hz = 0 ; In this case the field components are given by
Ez  J n (k   )( An Cos n  Bn Sin n ) N Sin k z z  e j  t (27A)
Hz 0 (27B)
jk z 
E  Ez (27C)
k 2 
jk z 
E  E (27D)
 k 2  z
j 
H   E (27E)
k 2  z
j 
H   Ez (27F)
k 2 
Applying boundary conditions which state Ez = 0 at ρ = a. This leads to

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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

J n ( k  a)  0 (28)
If ξnm is the m root of eq. (28) then
th


k   nm  hnm (29)
a
Where n denotes the order of Bessel function and m is the mth root.
The first few roots of eq. (28) are given in table 1.
Table 1: Roots of Jn(kρa)
m n
0 1 2 3 4 5
1 2.405 3.823 5.136 6.380 7.588 8.771
2 5.520 7.016 8.417 9.761 11.065 12.339
3 8.654 10.173 11.620 13.015 14.732
4 11.792 13.324 14.796

The roots of eq. (28) and values of integer constant ‘p’ will describe the different TMnmp modes
in a cylindrical resonant cavity. Remember ‘p’ cannot be zero.
Resonant frequencies for TMnmp mode
If fr is the resonant frequency of TMnmp mode, then
Since hnm2   2    k z2
Or r2    h 2  k z2
nm

  nm  2  p  
2
1
Or fr     
2    a   d 
The lowest resonant frequency in T011

Case 2: Transverse Electric (TE) Mode

For TE modes we have Ez= 0 , Hz ≠ 0;
In this case the other field components are given by
Ez  0 (30A)
H z  J n (k   )(Cn Cos n  Dn Sin n ) N Sin k z z e j  t (30B)
 j  
E  H (30C)
 k 2   z
j  
E  Hz (30D)
k 2  
jk z 
H  Hz (30E)
k 2  
jk z 
H  H (30F)
 k 2   z
Applying boundary conditions which state that Eρ = 0 at ϕ = 0 and Eρ = 0 at ρ = a.
Thus from (30C) we have

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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

 j  
E  H 0 at φ=0
 k 2   z
 j  
E  J (k  ) n C n Sin n  Dn Cos n  ( N Sin k z z ) e j t
 k 2   n 
 j 
E  J n (k   ) n C n Sin n  Dn Cos n  ( N Sin k z z ) e j t
 k 2

Thus substituting ϕ = 0 we get

 j 
E  J (k  ) n  Dn ( N Sin k z z ) e j t  0
 k 2 n 
This implies Dn= 0
Hence H z  J n (k   )Cn Cos n ( N Sin k z z)e j  t (31)
From (30D) we have
j  
E  J n (k   )Cn Cos n ( N Sin k z z )e j  t
k  
2

j  /
E  2
J n (k   )Cn Cos n ( N Sin k z z )e j  t
k
Since at the boundary Eϕ = 0 at ρ = a
j  /
Therefore 2
J n (k  a)Cn Cos n ( N Sin k z z )e j  t  0
k
This implies J n/ (k  a)  0 (32)
The first few roots of eq. (32) are given in following table 2.
Table 2: Roots of derivative of Bessel Function
m n
0 1 2 3 4 5
1 3.832 1.841 3.054 4.201 5.317 6.416
2 7.016 5.331 6.706 7.015 9.282 10.520
3 10.173 8.536 9.969 11.346 12.682 13.987
4 13.324 11.706 13.170
If τnm represent the root of (32), then

k   nm  hnm
a
Where n denotes the order of derivative of Bessel function and m is the mth root.
The roots of eq. (32) and values of integer ‘p’ will define the various TEnmp modes of cylindrical
cavity. Here again p cannot be zero.

Resonant Frequency for TEnmp modes

If fr is the resonant frequency of TEnmp mode then
1   nm p  
f r TE    
2    a d 

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 Cavity (Waveguide) Resonators

The lowest root is J1/(ρh) which is 1.841. This value corresponds n = 1 and m = 1. The dominant
mode for cylindrical resonant cavity is TE111 mode will result in the lowest resonant frequency.

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