Analysis of Electromagnetic Wave Applications and
Analysis of Electromagnetic Wave Applications and
Volume 68 (2023)
1. Introduction
In life, electromagnetic waves are widely used in various fields, and they have also been deeply
studied in the field of physics [1]. After studying some contents of electromagnetic waves in physics
in high school, the author has a high interest in this topic, so this paper uses this paper to further study
the properties and applications of electromagnetic waves.
This paper analyzes the basic theory of electromagnetic waves including the classification of
electromagnetic waves, the research and development history of electromagnetic waves, and the
generation of electromagnetic waves and the application of contemporary electromagnetic waves,
among which the application of electromagnetic waves is called in the military and medical aspects of
life. At the end of this article, the author summarizes the above and discusses the shortcomings and
future expectations of the current application of electromagnetic waves.
172
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
In Fig.1. the frequency of radio wave ranges from 10 Hz to 108 Hz, it is often utilized in
telecommunication and radio broadcast. Microwave's frequency is approximately 1010 Hz and
Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic wave that shares similarities with radio, light, radar, and
infrared waves. The main distinguishing factor is the frequency of the wave's motion [2]. When the
frequency is larger than 1012 Hz but lower than 1014 Hz, the corresponding electromagnetic wave is
infrared. Infrared is not only used in remote control, but in military field as well. Visible light possesses
frequencies from1014 HZ to 1016. 1016Hz to 1019Hz is a common frequency scope of ultraviolet. In
people's daily life, it can be used in ultraviolet disinfection. 1018 Hz to 1022 and 1023 to 1026 HZ are
frequencies of X-ray and gamma ray respectively. X-ray is most commonly utilized in medical field
while gamma ray is capable to do industrial inspection. Gamma ray is also applied to gamma knife.
2.2. Generation of electromagnetic waves
An electrically charged particle creates an electric field. When charged particles move, electric and
magnetic fields interact and influence each other, resulting in electromagnetic waves. Taking the
aluminum atom as an example, there are 13 negatively charged electrons outside the nucleus, the
middle is the nucleus, and there are 13 positively charged protons in the nucleus, at this time, the
number of positive and negative charges is equal, and the overall remains electrically neutral. Among
them, the outermost electrons are more active and tend to fly out, if the outside with a positive electric
field can easily attract it to move. When the outermost electrons are attracted to detachment, the
number of positive charges will be greater than the number of negative charges, and the whole will
appear positively charged, for convenience, the part with the same number of positive and negative
charges is hidden to see the whole as a positive charge. Similarly, adding an extra negatively charged
electron to another aluminum atom, at this time the whole is negatively charged, and the same number
of parts are also omitted as negative charge. When the positive and negative charges are close enough,
an electric field with positive terminal pointing to negative terminal will be generated. The positive
charge pair emits an electric field in each direction, and part of the electric field is an arc, and the
waveform of the electric field emitted outward is largest when the distance is large. When completely
close together, all electric fields are attracted by the negative charge, then arc disappears. According
to the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, A fluctuating magnetic field can generate a voltage
in an electrical circuit. The changing electric field will produce a magnetic field, the direction of the
magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the electric field, so such a magnetic field will be
generated in the arc electric field, and the changing magnetic field will also produce an electric field,
as long as the continuous change of oscillation will continue to propagate, then electromagnetic waves
are formed [3].
2.3. Development history of electromagnetic waves
The development history of electromagnetic waves is shown in Fig.2.
173
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
174
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
disinfect food. Its wavelength has a very obvious inhibitory effect on bacteria, and there is no adverse
effect on food whether it is the disinfection of the food itself or the processing environment [6].
In addition, electromagnetic waves are also widely used in the field of communication, and people
generally use the network to obtain information. The way of information transmission is generally to
make an analog signal at the information end, and then convert it into an electrical signal by means of
modulation, that is the process of altering a characteristic of a carrier wave to correspond with an
information signal, or modulating wave. Once transmitted over a channel, the modulated signal is then
processed through demodulation to recover the original information-bearing signal. The purpose of
which is to reduce the length of the antenna to reduce the cost and realize the multiplexing of the
antenna and the anti-interference ability of the modulated signal. Similarly, in numerous
telecommunications systems, it is essential to utilize a waveform to accurately transfer an information-
bearing signal through a transmission medium. This is completed by modulation [7]. The basic
principle of satellite communication is to regard artificial earth satellites as information transfer
stations to realize the reflection, propagation and transformation of electromagnetic information work.
Through the work done on the basis of artificial earth satellites, electromagnetic information can be
transmitted between satellites without hindrance, even if communication satellites are located in
different regions [8]. The specific principle is as follows, the antenna generates a signal and bundles
the signal to launch into space. Star link devices constantly control the wireless cluster, enabling it to
point directly at satellites moving in the sky, and television satellite dish uses parabolic reflectors to
focus and receive satellite signals. TV satellite dish accepts TV signals from space. Since satellite
communication is actually microwave information transmission, communication satellite stations can
transmit microwave information and need to cooperate with the transfer station to ensure the
completion of high-quality transportation and signal conversion work. A TV Satellite Dish is
illustrated in Fig.4.
Where 𝑓𝑜 Indicates the frequency at the velocimeter, 𝑣 Indicates the velocity of the wave, 𝑣𝑠
Indicates the speed of the carrier emitting the sound source, 𝑓 Represents the frequency of the sound
source wave.
The frequency of electromagnetic waves received by the speed measuring instrument will become
higher accordingly. When the car is far away from a fixed speed measuring instrument
𝑣
𝑓𝑜 = 𝑓 (2)
𝑣+𝑣𝑠
176
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
The frequency of electromagnetic waves received by the speed measuring instrument will become
lower. By measuring the rate of change of frequency, we can reflect the speed of the car. In this way,
within a certain period of time, through the frequency change of the received electromagnetic waves
reflected by the car, we can calculate the speed of the car. Due to the fast transmission speed of
electromagnetic waves and the small error, the use of electromagnetic waves for speed measurement
calculation is very accurate [6]. A traffic velocimeter is shown in Fig.5.
177
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
identification technology can identify the working state and behavior of the radiation source, the
individual radiation source and the radiation source attributes. The state of the radiation source means
that the radiation source is represented by a certain sequence of pulses, and the parameter signals in
the pulse sequence conform to a certain modulation law, and the radiation source behavior is a
combination of working modes formed to achieve a special tactical purpose, generally used in military
search and tracking. Source attribute identification is a method of identifying the use of the radiation
source, identifying the type of emitting magnetic radiation source, and determining the threat degree
of the radiation source The identification of the individual radiation source is based on the
unintentional modulation characteristics of the signal in the pulse to determine the generation of the
signal, for example, from the characteristics of the signal itself, the two signals may be the same, that
is, two radiation sources of the same model. At this time, the radiation source can be accurately
determined by the individual identification technology of the radiation source, because different
radiation source individuals have different circuit device structure technology, working temperature
and environment, etc. The interference strategy of the radiation source can be divided into including
interference pattern selection and interference waveform optimization, and the interference pattern
selection is based on the threat perception of the target signal to establish the best correspondence
between the existing interference pattern and the target state, and then form an optimal set of
interference strategy. The interference waveform optimization is to use its own existing interference
resources to wait for the opportunity to do interference waveform optimization and use these resources
to independently generate new interference waveforms, which can form a better interference pattern
to interfere.
The second is the infrared guided missile, which works on the principle of operation: the infrared
light of the target passes through the glass cover of the guidance head of the infrared guided missile,
and the reflector reflected to the middle through the concave mirror is again reflected into the lens
group in the middle tube, and the focus of the infrared light falls on the lead sulfide photosensitive
element, and the infrared signal it perceives is processed by the unit modulation disc amplitude
modulation system, and the target becomes a bright spot for the infrared guided missile to carry out
target tracking. An infrared guided missile is demonstrated in Fig.7.[3].
178
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
these rays could penetrate most solid objects, but not bones or metals. This unexpected discovery
marked a major breakthrough in medical imaging, and its implications are still felt today. X-ray
technology enabled doctors to see inside the human body without invasive procedures, allowing for
earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Roentgen's pioneering work and subsequent research laid the
foundation for the use of radiography in modern medicine [10]. His discovery then earned him the first
Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. But now that the principle behind this is known, when high-energy
electrons hit metal material in the cathode tube, these high-energy electrons either reduce their velocity
and release some extra energy or knock these electrons out of the atom to initiate the electron
combination and continue to release energy. But in either case, the energy is released in the form of
X-rays, which hit electrons in the substance when they interact with other substances. Sometimes an
X-ray transfers all of his energy to other matter and is absorbed by that substance, but sometimes it
transfers only a portion of the energy, and the rest is dispersed. The frequency of these two results
depends on the number of electrons hit by the X-ray, and the tighter the structure of the substance or
the higher the electron number of the substance, the more likely collisions are occurring. The bones
are dense and rich in calcium, that is, they have a higher number of electrons. Therefore, bones are
more likely to absorb X-rays, and other soft tissues, such as muscles, are more easily penetrated by X-
rays (different tissues in the human body absorb X-rays to different degrees). This is the most basic
principle of X-ray filming. Using the sensitivity of X-rays to fluorescence, shadows of different
densities can be clearly observed on the fluorescence screen. This method does not require incision of
human epidermal tissue, the operation is simple, the harm to the human body is small, and the detection
cost is low. Now it has become the main equipment for clinical diagnosis, especially orthopedic
diagnosis. An X Ray instrument is shown in Fig.8.
179
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
4. Conclusion
This article explains the physical concepts and principles of electromagnetic waves.
Electromagnetic waves are fluctuations caused by the interaction of electric and magnetic fields at the
same speed as the speed of light. Electromagnetic waves can be divided into radio waves, microwaves,
infrared, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X-rays and γ rays according to different frequencies. Next, this
paper introduces the characteristics and applications of various electromagnetic waves: microwaves
are used in medical, military and daily life; Radio waves are widely used in the communications and
broadcasting industries; Infrared is used in remote controls, infrared guided missiles, thermal imagers,
etc.; The visible band is used in lighting and display technology; Ultraviolet light should be used for
disinfection and sterilization; X-ray for medical diagnosis; γ radiation is used in fields such as medical
imaging and radiation therapy.
Although electromagnetic waves have irreplaceable applications in life, military and medical
treatment, there are still certain problems in the existing electromagnetic wave technology. For
example, in daily life, ultraviolet rays have certain potential dangers and easily burn people's skin.
Long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays can also cause problems such as redness and peeling of the
skin. In addition, infrared night vision devices also have military disadvantages, because they are
easily disturbed by heat sources such as fires, making them ineffective. In microwave communication,
if the transmission distance is long, the communication between the base station and the user terminal
involves the transmission of signals, and these signals are not directly transmitted, but refract,
reflected, diffracted, scattered and transmitted in a variety of ways. Therefore, the staff needs to
increase the number of microwave reinforcements, which will lead to a significant increase in costs
and a decrease in transmission efficiency.
The most advanced technology for radio wave technology to transmit information today is 5G
technology, but 6G will achieve 10 to 100 times faster speeds than 5G, and peak rates will reach
hundreds or even Tbps. In terms of network deployment and operational efficiency, we will support
sustainable development and will improve the spectrum efficiency of 6G by 1.5 to 3 times, which is
better than 5G. Intelligence, as a key capability of wireless communication networks, is becoming a
technology that provides start-ups to enterprises. From 5G to 6G, artificial intelligence will complete
the role transformation from auxiliary to endogenous. The fundamental design principle of wireless
AI is to create an efficient and sustainable network of the future. We need to make efficient use of
fragmented spectrum and improve energy efficiency. From 5G to 6G, artificial intelligence will
complete the role transformation from auxiliary to endogenous. The fundamental design principle of
wireless artificial intelligence is to create an efficient and sustainable network of the future. We need
to make efficient use of fragmented spectrum and improve energy efficiency. In the future, the 6G
spectrum will be extended to frequency bands with more abundant spectrum resources, such as
terahertz and visible light. Larger bandwidth, higher frequency, and full-spectrum technologies have
180
Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ISET 2023
Volume 68 (2023)
become an evolutionary trend. Mm Wave technology is already supported in the fifth generation of
wireless communication systems (5G) standards. In the 6G era, millimeter wave technology will
mature and be widely used. At the same time, the exploration of terahertz frequency bands has become
a hot topic in 6G research, millimeter wave and terahertz provide large bandwidth, forming a multi-
frequency collaborative ubiquitous group grid bureau. Meanwhile, demand in the medical field will
drive the development of X-ray and gamma rays in the future. In the military aspect, countries will
develop telegraph devices, electronic components and weapon systems with high protection against
electromagnetic hazards and establish corresponding identification equipment.
References
[1] R. K. Amineh, “Applications of Electromagnetic Waves: Present and Future,” Electronics, vol. 9, no. 5,
p. 808, May 2020.
[2] D. Y. Graham, “POWER SUPPLIES | Use of Electricity in Food Technology,” Encyclopedia of Food
Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition), pp. 4711 – 4718, Jan. 2003.
[3] The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, “Faraday’s law of induction | physics,” Encyclopedia Britannica.
Sep. 06, 2013. Available: https://www.britannica.com/science/Faradays-law-of-induction.
[4] J. C. Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. Volume 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1873.
[5] D. L. Sengupta and T. K. Sarkar, “Maxwell, Hertz, the Maxwellians, and the early history of
electromagnetic waves,” IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 13 – 19, Apr. 2003.
[6] M. Calamia, G. Franceschetti, and A. D. Mori, “Discovery of Electromagnetic Waves and Their Impact
on Our Life-Style,” History of Mechanism and Machine Science, vol. 27, pp. 69 – 84, Jan. 2015, doi:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9645-3_5.
[7] E. Zhang, “Telecommunication - Modulation,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Oct, 2020.
https://www.britannica.com/technology/telecommunication/Modulation.
[8] P. K. Choudhury and M. A. El-Nasr, “Electromagnetics for biomedical and medicinal applications,”
Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, vol. 29, no. 17, pp. 2275 – 2277, Nov. 2015.
[9] N. Wetsman, “Upgrades to the US Army’s night vision technology make darkness into a video game,”
The Verge, May 03, 2021. https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22417206/army-night-vision-tech-
enhanced.
[10] P. M. Dunn, “Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923), the discovery of x rays and perinatal diagnosis,”
Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 138F139, Mar. 2001.
[11] S. Horikoshi, R. F. Schiffmann, J. Fukushima, and N. Serpone, “Electromagnetic Fields and
Electromagnetic Waves,” Microwave Chemical and Materials Processing, vol. 2, no. 3, Nov. 2017.
181