Part of the signal fed at port 1 of the main arm is coupled to port 3 of the

auxiliary arm and the rest of the power is delivered to the port 2 of the main arm.
In such case port 3 is called the coupled port and port 2 is called the through
port.
For a directional coupler, theoretically, no power should be coupled at port 4
and hence port 4 is called an isolated port and is generally kept matched
terminated.
 Following a similar logic when the network is fed through port 2, port
1 is the through port, port 4 is the coupled port and port 3 is the
isolated port.
In practice signal also can be fed through port 3 or 4 but in such case
the main arm behaves as an auxiliary arm while the auxiliary arm
becomes the main arm. The coupled, through and isolated port can be
defined in a similar manner.
A directional coupler is generally characterized by three parameters
namely coupling, directivity and isolation.

If the power fed at port 1 is P1 and the power received at port 2, 3 and 4 are
P2 , P3 and P4 respectively, then

Coupling C  10log10 P1 P3  dB Directivity D  10log10 P3 P4  dB

Isolation I  10log10 P1 P4  dB

Therefore I  C  D dB
Coupling Factor: The coupling factor is a measure of how much of the
incident power is being sampled

Directivity: The directivity is a measure of how well the directional

coupler distinguishes between the forward and reverse traveling powers.

Isolation: Isolation describe the directive properties of a directional

coupler. It is equal to C + D.

Note: An ideal coupler should have infinite directivity and isolation.

The S-matrix of a reciprocal four port network matched at all ports can be
expressed as

 0 S12 S13 0 
S 0 0 S24 
S  S12 0 0 S34 
13
 
 0 S24 S34 0 

Using the unitary property of the S-matrix we can write,

 0 S12 S13 0  0 *
S12 *
S13 0  1 0 0 0
S  * * 
 12 0 0 S24  S12 0 0 S24

  0 1 0 0 
S13 0 0 S34  S13
*
0 0 * 
S34 0 0 1 0
    
 0 S24 S34 0   0 S*24 *
S34 0  0 0 0 1
which gives
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
S12  S13 1 S12  S24 1 S13  S34 1 S24  S34 1

S13  S24 S12  S34

Further multiplication of row 3 and column 2 gives S13 S12  S34 S24  0
* *

By proper port length we can set S12  S34   S13   e j S24   e j

where  and  are real and  and  are phase constant.

Substituting the above three relations in S13 S12  S34 S24  0 we get
* *

e j  e  j  0   

Now we have two choices:

1:      2Such couplers are called symmetrical coupler and have the
scattering matrix of the form  0  j 0 
 0 0 j 
S  
j 0 0 
 
 0 j  0 
2:   0,    Such couplers are called symmetrical coupler and have the
scattering matrix of the form
0   0
 0 0  
S  
 0 0 
 
 0   0 

It should be noted that the above coupler differs only in the choice of
reference plane. The application of lossless condition in the above matrices
implies that  2  2  1

For a 3 dB coupler     1 2 and hence

0 1 j 0  0 1 1 0
   0 1
1 1 0 0 j  1 1 0
S   and S  
2 j 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1
   
0 j 1 0  0 1 1 0 

For the first matrix      2 and hence such coupler is called a 900 hybrid
whereas for the second,   0,    and such couplers are called 1800 hybrid.
The lumped element equivalent circuit of a directional coupler can be
represented as

Directional couplers are widely used in power measurement and load

power monitoring without affecting its normal operation of the circuit.
Questions on Directional Coupler

Q.1 The input of a coupler is connected to a 10 W source & the output is

terminated on a matched load. The auxiliary output is found to be 10 mW. When
10 W is applied to the output end of a coupler and the input is terminated in a
matched load, the auxiliary output is found to be 10 microW. Find both the
Coupling factor and Directivity.
Microwave Non-Reciprocal
Devices/ Ferrite devices
BHAVIN V KAKANI
IT-NU
Introduction

 The term “Reciprocal” here means that the response between any two ports of the
network does not depend upon the direction of signal flow, that is, Sij  S ji
 This condition is valid till the networks consists only isotropic material.
 If the network consist an anisotropic material, e.g., magnetically biased ferrites,
then the network will be no longer reciprocal. Such networks are called non-
reciprocal networks.
 Ferrite phase shifters, gyrators, isolators, circulators are the examples of non-
reciprocal microwave networks.
 The main feature of anisotropic material is that either its permittivity or
permeability is a tensor. (tensorial material).
 If the permittivity of the material is a
tensor then it is called as electrically
anisotropic whereas if the permeability of
the material is a tensor then it is called as
magnetically anisotropic.
 In microwave applications the most
commonly used anisotropic materials are
Yattrium Iron Garnet (or YIG) materials
and ferrites.
 Ferrites are non-metallic material with resistivity nearly 1014
times greater than metals and with dielectric constants around
10-15 and relative permeability of the order of 1000.
 They have magnetic properties similar to those of ferrous
metals.
 They are oxide based compounds having general composition of
the form MO.
 The general chemical composition of ferrite is MOFe2O3 where
M is a divalent metal such as manganese, magnesium, iron,
zinc, nickel, cadmium etc or a mixture of these.
 Few examples of ferrites are Mnn Zn(1-n)Fe2O4 Nin,Zn(1-n)Fe2O4
etc.
 Ferrites have atoms with large number of spinning electrons which result in magnetic
dipole moments.
 In absence of magnetic biasing, the dipoles remain randomly oriented and hence the
net dipole moment becomes zero.
 On the application of the bias field the dipoles are aligned in a preferred direction
and the net magnetic dipole moment of the material becomes non-zero.
 These magnetic dipoles precess at a certain frequency either in the clockwise or in
the anti-clockwise direction.
 While the frequency of this precision can be controlled by the strength of the bias
field, the direction of rotation is controlled by the direction of the bias field.
 Ferrites have one more special property which is useful in microwave
frequencies i.e. the non reciprocal property.
 When 2 circularly polarized waves one rotating clockwise and other
anticlockwise are made to propagate through ferrite, the material reacts
differently to the two rotating fields, thereby presenting different
effective permeabilities to both the waves.
 Means permittivity, permeability and resistivity is different for left and right
circularly polarized wave.
 This non-reciprocal property of a biased ferrite is used to design several non-
reciprocal microwave components like phase shifter, gyrator, isolator,
circulator etc.
Faraday rotation in Ferrites

 Primarily the operations of the ferrite based microwave non-

reciprocal devices can be described by Faraday’s principle which
states that:

“If a circularly polarized wave ( TE11 mode in circular waveguide)

passes through a ferrite rod, biased with an axial magnetic field
, then the axis of polarization gets tilted in the clockwise
direction and the amount of tilt depends on the strength of the
magnetic field and geometry of the ferrite”.

 Such rotation of axis of polarization is called “Faraday rotation”.

 Physically when the linearly polarized wave passes through a
biased ferrite it is decomposed into two circularly polarized
waves, one RHCP and another LHCP.
 These two circularly polarized wave interacts differently with the
biased ferrite and travel through the ferrite with different speed.
 As a result the phase of one circularly polarized field leads the
other.
 Therefore when they are reinforced, the resultants plane of
polarization sufferers a tilt.
Ferrite Isolators

 Isolators are two port non-reciprocal devices having unidirectional

transmission characteristics.
0 0 
 The S – matrix of such networks can be expressed as S   1 0 
 
 Since the device is non-reciprocal, the [S] matrix is not symmetric.
 Further since [S] is not unitary the device must be lossy.
 It’s a 2 port device which provides very small amount of attenuation
for transmission from port 1 to port 2 but provides maximum
attenuation for transmission from port 2 to port 1.
 This is very much desirable when we want to match a source with a
variable load.
 In most microwave generator, the output amplitude and
frequency tend to fluctuate very significantly with
changes in load impedance.
 And it results in reflected wave from load.
 But these reflected wave should not be allowed to reach
the microwave generator which will cause amplitude and
frequency instability of the microwave generator.
 Hence the generator appears to be matched for all loads
in the presence of isolator so that there is no change in
frequency and output power due to variation in load.
 It is known that a circularly polarized plane
wave rotating in the same direction as the
precissing magnetic dipoles interacts strongly
with the material while a circularly polarized
plane wave rotating in the opposite direction
of the precissing magnetic dipoles interacts
weakly with it.
 This property of ferrites is used to construct
an isolator, known as resonance isolator.
 Resonance isolator consists of ferrite slabs or
strips inside a waveguide.
 The ferrite slab or strips are inserted at a
point where the field is circularly polarized.
Operation
 The input wave, fed at port 1 is rotated by an angle in the clockwise
direction by the rectangular waveguide twist.
 The rotated field vector thus becomes perpendicular to the
attenuator pad and passes it without any attenuation.
 After that it further suffers a anti-clockwise rotation by the Faraday
rotator and thus polarization become identical with the input wave.
 Finally it appears at port 2 without any attenuation.
NOTE : The resistive card doesn’t absorb any wave whose
plane of polarization is perpendicular to its own plane.
 When the wave is fed at port 2 its field vector suffers a rotation in the
clockwise direction by the faraday rotator.
 The rotated field thus becomes parallel to the plane of the attenuator pad and
is attenuated significantly when it passes through the attenuator pad.
 Therefore at port 1 the output becomes zero.
 Practically a Faraday rotator isolator has insertion loss of the order of
0.5 dB – 1 dB and reverse attenuation of the order of 30 dB.
 At high power operation, the non-linearity effect comes into play and the
amount of Faraday rotation deviates from the required 45 degree.
 This sets the maximum power handling capability of the isolator to about 2 kW.
Ferrite Gyrator

 It is a 2 port device that has a relative phase difference of 180

degree for transmission from port 1 to port 2 but ‘no’ phase shift
for transmission from port 2 to port 1.
 It is lossless, matched and non-reciprocal.
 The S-matrix of an ideal gyrator is given by

 0 1
S    
 1 0 
 When field moves from port 1 to port 2 it is first rotated by 90o in the
anti-clockwise direction by the twist.
 It is further rotated by 90o in the anti-clockwise direction by the Faraday
rotator and finally exit from port 2 with a 180o phase difference.
 When it travels from port 2 to port 1 it is first rotated by 90o in the
clockwise direction by the Faraday rotator and next it is rotated by 90o in
the anti-clockwise direction by the twist. Therefore it exits port 2 with a
0o phase difference.
 A gyrator can also be designed
without using the 90o twist.
However in such case the port
cross-sections must be orthogonal
to each other.
Ferrite Circulator

 A circulator is an N port non-reciprocal device that allows

power flow from port 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4 …… and N to 1
but not in the reverse direction.
 However, a power flow in the reverse direction can be
obtained by changing the polarity of the ferrite bias field.
 In general a there port circulator can be expressed by a
scattering matrix:
0 0 1
S   1 0 0
0 1 0 
 The three port circulators are widely
used as a duplexer in a microwave
system.
 Generally the circulators use a
permanent magnet for its operation.
But electromagnet can also be used.
 In such applications the transmitter is
connected at port 1, the antenna is
connected at port 2 and the receiver is
connected at port 3.
The basic function of a four port circulator can be understood with the help
of the circuit

Circulators with more number of ports can be constructed by cascading

the three / four port circulators.
In general, a circulator, constructed by cascading N number of four port
circulators has 2 N  1 ports.
 If we terminate port 3 of a
three port circulator with
matched load then it
results in an isolator.

Faraday rotator circulator:

OTHER APPLICATIONS OF CIRCULATOR
Self – study…..!!!!