Electromagnetic wave propagation in general multimode waveguide structures exhibiting simultaneously attenuation, dispersion and coupling phenomena

A power flow equation describing the power flow of electromagnetic waves in a real multimode waveguide represented by a linear multichannel transmission system exhibiting an attenuation, dispersion, and an interchannel interaction is solved in three iterative ways. In the case of constant attenuation and constant propagation velocities in all channels and for the convolution interchannel interaction, a closed analytical solution of the problem is presented. Interesting forms of the solution, transfer function, and impulse response of the system which enable us to separate and compare the attenuation, dispersion, and coupling effects independently of each other are derived. The transfer function, the impulse response, and excitation conditions for their measurements are further discussed. Relations which make it possible to compare different experimental data obtained under specific excitation conditions in various laboratories are determined. Finally, a linear system with memory at time is studied and it is shown that the real multimode waveguide as a linear multichannel transmission system can be considered as a general linear system with memory at space