Uniform Plane Wave in Free Space

Uniform Plane Wave in Perfect dielectric

Uniform Plane Wave in Conductor
• Skin Depth is a measure of how closely
electric current flows along the surface of a
material.
• At d.c. (0 Hz or a constant voltage), electric
current flows uniformly through a conductor.
• This means the current density is the same
everywhere.
• However, at higher frequencies, the current
prefers to flow along the surface, producing
surface current.
• Skin depth decreases with higher frequency.
• A copper conductor with an electric current flowing through
it.
• On the left, we have the current distribution for low
frequencies (i.e. DC or 0 Hz) - the current flows uniformly
through the wire's cross section.
• On the right, we have the current distribution for the RF (radio
frequency) case (that is, for wires as small as 0.1mm in
diameter and frequencies as low as 10 MHz.
• The right side shows that the electric current only flows along
the surface, and the in the center of the wire no RF electric
current flows: