The Physics and Mathematics of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in Cellular Wireless Communication

Tapan K. Sarkar, Magdalena Salazar Palma, Mohammad Najib Abdallah

• Publisher: Wiley-IEEE Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781119393115
• eBook ISBN: 9781119393122
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mobile & Wireless Communications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

An important resource that examines the physical aspects of wireless communications based on mathematical and physical evidence

The Physics and Mathematics of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in Cellular Wireless Communication describes the electromagnetic principles for designing a cellular wireless system and includes the subtle electromagnetic principles that are often overlooked in designing such a system. This important text explores both the physics and mathematical concepts used in deploying antennas for transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals and examines how to select the proper methodology from a wide range of scenarios.

In this much-needed guide, the authors—noted experts in the field—explore the principle of electromagnetics as developed through the Maxwellian principles and describe the properties of an antenna in the frequency domain. The text also includes a review of the characterization of propagation path loss in a cellular wireless environment and examines ultrawideband antennas and the mechanisms of broadband transmission of both power and information. This important resource:

• Includes a discussion of the shortcomings of a MIMO system from both theoretical and practical aspects
• Demonstrates how to deploy base station antennas with better efficiency
• Validates the principle and the theoretical analysis of electromagnetic propagation in cellular wireless communication
• Contains results of experiments that are solidly grounded in mathematics and physics

Written for engineers, researchers, and educators who are or plan to work in the field, The Physics and Mathematics of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in Cellular Wireless Communication offers an essential resource for understanding the principles underpinning wireless communications.

1
The Mystery of Wave Propagation and Radiation from an Antenna

Summary

An antenna is a structure that is made of material bodies that may consist of either conducting or dielectric materials or may be a combination of both. Such a structure should be matched to the source of the electromagnetic energy so that it can radiate or receive the electromagnetic field in an efficient manner. The interesting phenomenon is that an antenna displays selectivity properties not only in the frequency domain but also in the space domain. In the frequency domain an antenna is capable of displaying an external resonance phenomenon where at a particular frequency the current density induced on it can be sufficiently significant to cause radiation of electromagnetic fields from that structure. An antenna also possesses a spatial impulse response that is a function of both the azimuth and elevation angles. Thus, an antenna displays spatial selectivity as it generates a radiation pattern that can selectively transmit or receive electromagnetic energy along certain spatial directions in the far field as in the near field even a highly directive antenna has essentially an omnidirectional pattern with no selectivity. That is the reason researchers have been talking about space division multiple access (SDMA) where one directs a beam along the direction of the desired user but places a null along the direction of the undesired user. This has not materialized as we shall see in the next chapter as most of the base station antennas operate in the near field of an antenna. As a receiver of electromagnetic field, an antenna also acts as a spatial sampler of the electromagnetic fields propagating through space. The voltage induced in the antenna is related to the polarization and the strength of the incident electromagnetic fields. The objective of this chapter is to illustrate how an electromagnetic wave propagates and how an antenna extracts the energy from such a wave. In addition, it will be outlined why the antenna was working properly for the last few decades where one could receive electromagnetic energy from the various parts of the world (with the classical transistor radios) without any problems but now various deleterious effects have propped up which are requiring deployment of multiple antennas, which as we shall see does not make any sense! Is it an aberration in basic understanding of electromagnetic theory or is it related to new physics that has just recently been discovered in MIMO system and the like? Another goal is to demonstrate that the principle of superposition applies when using the reciprocity theorem but does not hold for the principle of correlation which represents power. In general, power cannot be simply added or subtracted in the context of electrical engineering. It is also illustrated that the impulse response of an antenna when it is transmitting, is different from its response when the same structure operates in the receive mode. This is in direct contrast to antenna properties in the frequency domain as the transmit radiation pattern is the same as the receive antenna pattern. An antenna provides the matching necessary between the various electrical components associated with the transmitter and receiver and the free space where the electromagnetic wave is propagating. From a functional perspective an antenna is thus analog to a loudspeaker, which matches the acoustic generation/recei...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• 1 The Mystery of Wave Propagation and Radiation from an Antenna
• 2 Characterization of Radiating Elements Using Electromagnetic Principles in the Frequency Domain
• 3 Mechanism of Wireless Propagation
• 4 Methodologies for Ultrawideband Distortionless Transmission/Reception of Power and Information
• Index
• End User License Agreement