Objectives

The main objective of the course is to provide the basic concepts of electromagnetic theory and to discuss the most common applications. 

Theory

1. Basics of scalar and vector fields and vector differential operators. Review of electrostatics and magnetostatics in free space and in materials.
2. Maxwell’s Equations. Definition of time-varying regime. Integral and differential forms of Faraday's law, Ampere-Maxwell’s law and Gauss laws. Poynting’s theorem. Maxwell’s equation in sinusoidal steady state regime.
3. Plane waves. Definition and main properties of plane waves. Plane wave solution of Maxwell’s equations in lossless and lossy media. Polarization of plane waves. Propagation in dielectrics and good conductors. Orthogonal and oblique incidence of plane wave on double- and multi-layer: Snell’s law, critical angle and Brewster’s angle.
   
   
4. Transmission lines. Transmission line equations and their solution in terms of voltage and current waves and associated fields. Characteristics and input impedances. Smith’s chart. Incident and reflected waves. Reflection and transmission coefficients and standing wave ratio. Power balance and impedance matching networks. Lossy transmission lines.
   
   
5. Introduction to radiated electromagnetic waves.

Practice

Exercises will be proposed for all theory arguments such as calculation of electric and magnetic fields distribution of static and of time varying sources, calculation of the characteristics of propagation of plane wave in different media and in multilayers, calculation of the main parameters and of the waves propagating in a transmission lines, design of the most common impedence matching networks (quarter-wavelenght line, stub lines), calculation of the power transfer along a lossy transmission line.

Prerequisites

Trigonometry, Calculus with complex numbers and vectors, differential and intergal calculus.

Written and oral test.