Coupled transmission lines

When two transmission lines are placed close together, the

propagation in each line is influenced on the other. We talk in this
case of coupled-line propagation
Also in this case every possible solution, represented by a propagating
em field, must be the combination of modes. Each mode define a
configuration of E and H fields in the two lines, with specific
propagation parameters (phase constant, attenuation, characteristic
impedance)

Circuit model for two coupled lines

I2(z)

I1(z)
V1(z)

V2(z)

Magnetic coupling

La1

La2

L
Ca1

Electric coupling

Ca2

Element dz line 2

Element dz line 1

VL11 j L11 I L11 j L12 I L 22

VL 22 j L12 I L11 j L22 I L 22

I C11 j C11 VC11 j C12VL 22

I C 22 j C12 VC11 j C22VL 22

Propagation equations
L
I1(z)

I1(z+dz)

I2(z)

La1

La2

V1(z+dz)

V1(z)

I2(z+dz)
V2(z+dz)

Ca1

V2(z)

Ca2

I1 ( z dz ) I1 ( z ) j C11dz V1 z j C12V2 z dz
I 2 ( z dz ) I 2 ( z ) j C22 dz V2 z j C12V1 z dz
V1 ( z dz ) V1 ( z ) j L11dz I1 z j L12 I 2 z dz
V2 ( z dz ) V2 ( z ) j L22 dz I 2 z j L12 I1 z dz
per dz 0 :
dI1
dI 2
jC11V1 jC12V2
jC12V1 jC22V2
dz
dz
dV1
dV2
j L11 I1 j L12 I 2
j L12V1 j L22V2
dz
dz

Solution for two equal lines (L11=L22, C11=C22)

Type of solution:

V1,2 ( z ) V0 e j z

If such a solution exists, the phase constant must satisfy the following equations (with
L=L11=L22, C=C11=C22):

V1 LI1 L12 I 2
I1 CV1 C12V2

V2 L12 I1 LI 2
I 2 C12V1 CV2

There are only 4 possible solutions for :

L12 C12

L
L
C
C

LC

12
12
1
1

L
C

The first sign define the direction of propagation (- toward increasing z). The signs
inside the square roots define two different propagation modes (called even and odd).
For C12/C=-L12/L these modes have the same value of (i.e. the same phase velocity).
That happens when the two lines, taken separately, allow the propagation of a TEM
mode .
2

C12 C L12 L
ve vo 1 LC 1 12

For the symmetries, it can be easily understood that the even mode is characterized by the
voltages V1(z) and V2(z) equal and in phase, while for the odd mode these voltages are
equal and out of phase:

V1e V2e ,

V1o V2o

A generic solution in the two coupled lines is constituted by a linear combination of the
even and odd modes. For instance, considering only the progressive wave, it has :

V1 z V1e 0 e

j p z

V1o 0 e j d z ,

V2 z V2e 0 e

j p z

V2o 0 e j d z

As in the case of simple lines, the ratio of incident (or reflected) voltage and current
voltages define the characteristic impedance of the each mode:

Z ce V1e I1e

L L12
,
C C12

Z co V1o I1o

L L12
C C12

Note that cannot never be Zce=Zco; this means that it is not possible to cancel the
reflected waves of both modes at the same time.

Equal TEM lines (C11=C22=C)

We have seen that, in this case, C12/C=-L12/L, so:
ve vo v

LC

L 1 C12 C
Z ce
,
C 1 C12 C

1
C
1 12
C

L 1 C12 C
Z co
C 1 C12 C

Zce e Zco can be expressed as function of the capacitance p.u.l. of the two
modes:

1
Z cp
,
v Ceven

Ceven C C12

1
Z cd
,
v Codd

Codd C C12

Physical meaning of even and odd modes

Being the voltages equal and in phase for the even mode , there is along the symmetry axis
a perfect magnetic wall. For the odd mode, the condition of voltages equal and out of
phase implies the presence of perfect electric wall along the same axis.
For computing the impedances Zcpe Zcd it is then possible to refer to the equivalent lines
obtained imposing the presence of such walls:

Symmetry
axis

Even mode

Magnetic
Wall

Odd mode

Electric
Wall

1
Z ce
v Ceven

Z co

1
v Codd

The phase velocity is the same for the two TEM lines. It depends on
the medium filling the structure (dielectric constant r):
v

LC 1 C12 C

Circuit model of two coupled lines with finite

length
L
2

1
Zce, Zco
3

Goal: compute the 4-port Z matrix (or Y, or S).

Hypothesis: equal lines (two symmetry axis)
Evaluation method: matrix eigenvalues

Eigenvalues evaluation
Symmetry axis 2

Symmetry axis 1

Exciting the network with an eigenvector, an electric or a

magnetic wall is obtained alon the symmetry axis. With
reference to Z matrix, the exciting currents for each
eigenvector result:

I 1 1, 1, 1, 1

Axis 1: Magnetic, Axis 2: Magnetic

I 2 1, 1, 1, 1

Axis 1: Magnetic, Axis 2: Electric

I 3 1, 1, 1, 1

Axis 1:Electric, Axis 2: Magnetic

I 4 1, 1, 1, 1

Axis 1: Electric, Axis 2: Electric

Evaluation of the eigenvalues using the eigenetwork

Eigenvalue Z1:
/2, Zcp

Z1

OPEN

Z 1 jZ cp cot 2

OPEN

Eigenvalue Z2:
/2, Zcp

SHORT

Z 2 jZ cp tan 2

Z2
OPEN

Eigenvalue Z3:
/2, Zcd

Z3

OPEN

SHORT

Eigenvalue Z4:
/2, Zcd

Z4

Z 3 jZ cd cot 2

SHORT

SHORT

Z 4 jZ cd tan 2

Evaluation of Z Matrix
From the definition of Z, imposing each eigenvector as excitation,
the four independent elements of Z are obtained:

V1
Z 1 Z11 Z12 Z13 Z14
I0
Z 2

V1
Z11 Z12 Z13 Z14
I0

Z 3

V1
Z11 Z12 Z13 Z14
I0

Z 4

V1
Z11 Z12 Z13 Z14
I0

1
Z11 Z 1 Z 2 Z 3 Z 4
4
1
Z12 Z 1 Z 2 Z 3 Z 4
4
1
Z13 Z 1 Z 2 Z 3 Z 4
4
1
Z14 Z 1 Z 2 Z 3 Z 4
4

Using Zi, the eigenvalues of the other matrices (Y, S) can be

obtained. The above formulas can be then used for computing the
elements of also these matrices

Expression of Z matrix elements

j

Z11 Z cp cot Z cp tan Z cd cot Z cd tan
4
2
2
2
2
j

Z12 Z cp cot Z cp tan Z cd cot Z cd tan
4
2
2
2
2
j

Z13 Z cp cot Z cp tan Z cd cot Z cd tan
4
2
2
2
2
j

Z14 Z cp cot Z cp tan Z cd cot Z cd tan
4
2
2
2
2

Compact expressions of Z and Y elements

Z11

Z12 j
Z13 j
Z14 j

cp Z cd

2
Zcp Zcd
2

Zcp Zcd
2
Zcp Zcd
2

cot
1

sin
cot
1

sin

Y11

cp

Y12 j
Y13

Ycd

2
Ycp Ycd
2

Y14 j

cp

sin

Ycd

2
Ycp Ycd

cot

cot
1

sin

Terminating the ports in cc or oc

I1 Y11V1 Y12 0 Y13V3 Y14 0 Y11V1 Y13V3
I 3 Y31V1 Y32 0 Y33V3 Y34 0 Y31V1 Y33V3

1
3

Y11 Y22 Y11 j

2-port network

Y12 Y13

cp

Ycd

cp

Ycd
2

cot ,

cot

V1 Z11I1 Z12 0 Z13 0 Z14 I 4 Z11I1 Z14 I 4

V4 Z41I1 Z42 0 Z43 0 Z44 I 4 Z 41I1 Z 44 I 4

1
4

Z11
Z11 Z22

2-port network

Z12 Z14 j

cp

cp

Zcd
2

Zcd
2

cot ,

1
sin

Special cases
L=180

The eigenvalues of Z are [0, , 0, ], so those of S result:

Si= [-1, 1, -1, 1]. The scattering matrix elements are then:

S11 0, S12 1, S13 0, S14 0

Note that line 2 is completely uncoupled from line 1 independently on Z0!
Perfect matching at the four ports
There is a value of the load Z0 for which the ports are all matched
(S11=S22=S33=S44=0). Moreover this happens independently of L:

Z 0 = Zc , p Z c , d
Note that the matching at the ports does not imply the absence of
reflected waves along the two lines. Actually that happens only at the
ports

Derivation of the matching condition

jX 1 jZ cp cot 2 Z 0

Eigenvalues of S

jX 1
Si i
jX i 1

jX 2 jZ cp tan 2 Z 0
jX 3 jZ cd cot 2 Z 0

Eigenvalues of Z

jX 4 jZ cd tan 2 Z 0

Parameter S11:

1
S1 S 2 S 3 S 4 0
4
There are only two cases where the above condition can be satisfied
independently on L, i.e.:
S11

S1 S 2 0
S 3 S 4 0
S1 S 4 0
S 2 S 3 0

X 1 X 2 1

Z cp2 Z 02

X 3 X 4 1

Z cd2 Z 02

X 1 X 4 1

Z cp Z cd Z 02

X 3 X 2 1

Z cp Z cd Z

NOT
Admissible

2
0

Admissible