General Information
Covers static, quasi-static, and dynamic electromagnetic fields and waves. Topics include Maxwell's equations (integral and differential forms), fields of charge and current distributions, boundary conditions, fields near conductors, method of images, material polarization and dielectrics; energy, work, and power in electromagnetic systems; wave propagation and polarization, waves in media (dielectrics, conductors, and anisotropic materials); reflection, transmission, and refraction at media interfaces; guided waves in transmission lines, Smith charts, transients; metallic and dielectric waveguides; radiation and antennas, antenna arrays, electric circuits for transmission and reception, aperture antennas and diffraction.
Prerequisites
PHYS 2213, PHYS 2214, MATH 2930, and ECE 2100/ENGRD 2100.
Topics Covered
- Static, quasi-static, and dynamic electromagnetic fields and waves
- Maxwell's equations (integral and differential forms)
- Fields of charge and current distributions, boundary conditions, fields near conductors
- Method of images
- Material polarization and dielectrics
- Energy, work, and power in electromagnetic systems
- Wave propagation and polarization, waves in media (dielectrics, conductors, and anisotropic materials)
- Reflection, transmission, and refraction at media interfaces
- Guided waves in transmission lines, Smith charts, transients
- Metallic and dielectric waveguides
- Radiation and antennas, antenna arrays, electric circuits for transmission and reception, aperture antennas and diffraction.
Workload
- FA13: 9 homeworks, 2 prelims, final
- SU16: 8 homeworks, midterm, final
Follow on Courses at the 4000 Level
- ECE 4370 (Fiber and Integrated Optics) - Integrated optics, optical waveguides, fiber optics.
- ECE 4330 (Microwave Devices and Circuits) - Microwave devices, waveguides, cavities, antennas, and amplifiers.
- ECE 4300 (Lasers and Optoelectronics) - Laser fundamentals and design. Covers diffraction-limited optics, Gaussian beams, optical resonators, interaction of radiation with matter, physics of laser operation, and laser design.
- ECE 4320 (Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMs) Systems) - Fundamentals of MEMS, including materials, microstructures, devices and simple micro-electro-mechanical systems.
- ECE 4870 (Introduction to Radar Remote Sensing) - Radar systems, antennas, scattering theory, and remote sensing systems.
Advice
- FA13: This class was slightly miserable. The timeslot was ridiculous, the professor read off a powerpoint for most lectures, and it was effectively impossible to learn the material from any other source than the terrible, expensive textbook that accompanied the class. Rather than learning the actual concepts, we learned the specific things the book wanted us to. Just because Cornell professors wrote the book and it comes with lecture slides doesn't mean we should opt for it over the textbooks that every other university uses. The logistics were a mess too. Unless you're really interested in the material, try to avoid.
- FA13: Another one of Cornell's bad core classes. If you are truly interested in the material that is supposedly covered in this class, you should take the physics department equivalent and petition to have that counted as an ECE foundation course.
- FA16: This class seems to have become a lot better since Fall 13. I took it with Seyler and it's hard but definitely manageable. He actively looks to give partial credit and his exams are pretty fair.
Past Offerings
| Semester | Time | Professor | Median Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2013 | MWF 8:40-9:55 | Sunil Bhave | B+ |
| Fall 2014 |
MWF 9:05-9:55 |
Charles Seyler | B+ |
| Summer 2016 | MTWRF 10:00-11:15 | Farhan Rana |
Not Reported |