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In telecommunication, a waveguide is a
material medium that confines and guides a propagating electromagnetic wave.
In the microwave regime, a waveguide normally consists of a hollow metallic
conductor, usually rectangular, elliptical, or circular in cross section. This type of waveguide may, under certain conditions,
contain a solid or gaseous dielectric material.
In the optical regime, a waveguide used as a long transmission line consists of a solid dielectric filament (optical fiber), usually circular in cross section. In integrated optical circuits
an optical waveguide may consist of a thin dielectric film.
In the radio frequency regime, ionized layers of the stratosphere and refractive surfaces of the troposphere may also act as a waveguide.
Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from
MIL-STD-188
Waveguide propagation modes depend on the operating wavelength and polarization and the shape and size of the guide. In hollow metallic waveguides,
the fundamental modes are the transverse electric TE1,0 mode for rectangular and TE1,1 for
circular waveguides, seen here in cross-section:
See also: Glossary of antenna terms, Radio wave, Atmospheric waveguide, Dielectric
waveguide, Closed waveguide, Cutoff wavelength, Propagation , Radiation mode, Feed horn,
Angular misalignment loss, Power transmission Dielectric constant, Leaky mode, Filled cable, Glossary of fiber optic terms, Glossary of
telecommunications transmission terms, Horn, Transmission medium
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