Electromagnetic Waves Course: Guided & Wireless Media | IIT Kanpur NPTEL
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 133 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Categories | Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering |
| Credit Points | 2 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 13 Mar 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 29 Mar 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Master the Fundamentals of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation
Electromagnetic waves form the backbone of modern communication, sensing, and technology. From the fiber-optic cables carrying global internet traffic to the wireless signals enabling mobile connectivity, a deep understanding of how these waves propagate through different media is crucial for engineers and researchers. This 8-week course, Electromagnetic Waves in Guided and Wireless Media, offered on NPTEL by Prof. Pradeep Kumar K. of IIT Kanpur, provides a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of this foundational topic.
About the Instructor: Prof. Pradeep Kumar K.
Prof. Pradeep Kumar K. brings exceptional expertise to this course. After obtaining his PhD from IIT Madras, specializing in quantum cryptography, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur in 2009. He is also associated with the Centre for Lasers & Photonics. His research spans cutting-edge fields including quantum key distribution, nonlinear fiber optics, coherent optical communications, fiber lasers, and fiber-optic sensors. Prof. Kumar is actively involved in the prestigious LIGO-India project and his lab develops advanced technologies like single-photon detectors and true random number generators. With over 40 publications and three patents, his practical and research experience deeply enriches the course content. His popular NPTEL courses have seen over 15,000 enrollments, a testament to his teaching excellence.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is meticulously designed for:
- Undergraduate and first-year postgraduate students in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.
- Professionals in industries related to RF engineering, microwave technology, antennas, wireless communications, and fiber-optics seeking to solidify their theoretical foundations.
- Researchers and scientists in organizations like DRDO and ISRO, where applications of electromagnetic theory are paramount.
Course Prerequisites
To successfully follow this advanced course, students should have prior familiarity with:
- Vector analysis and vector calculus
- Electrostatics
- Magnetostatics
Detailed 8-Week Course Layout
The course is structured to build knowledge from fundamental concepts to advanced applications in a logical progression.
| Week | Topic | Key Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Transmission Lines | Telegrapher's equations, impedance, reflection, VSWR. |
| Week 2 | Applications of Transmission Lines | Impedance matching, Smith chart, stubs, resonators. |
| Week 3 | EM Waves in Free-Space | Wave equation, polarization, Poynting vector, plane waves. |
| Week 4 | Diffraction of EM Waves | Huygens' principle, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction. |
| Week 5 | Guided Waves in Metallic Waveguides | Rectangular & circular waveguides, modes, cutoff frequency. |
| Week 6 | Guided Waves in Dielectric Waveguides | Optical waveguides, fiber optics, modes in fibers. |
| Week 7 | Fundamentals of Radiation | Antenna basics, dipole antennas, radiation patterns, gain. |
| Week 8 | Wireless Channel Modeling | Path loss, fading, multipath propagation, channel models. |
Why This Course is Essential for Your Growth
This course bridges the gap between abstract electromagnetic theory and real-world engineering applications. You will gain the analytical tools to design and analyze systems that use guided media (like coaxial cables and optical fibers) and wireless media. The blend of conceptual understanding and computational problem-solving in assignments ensures you can apply the knowledge to practical scenarios, a skill highly valued across the telecommunications, defense, and space technology industries.
Recommended Textbooks
To supplement the video lectures, the following authoritative texts are recommended:
- Electromagnetic Waves by D. H. Staelin et al. (1993)
- Electromagnetic Wave Propagation, Radiation and Scattering by A. Ishimaru (2017)
- Fields and Waves in Modern Communication Electronics by S. Ramo et al. (Wiley, 1993)
- Digital Communications with Emphasis on Data Modems by R. W. Middlestead (2017)
Enroll in Electromagnetic Waves in Guided and Wireless Media to build a strong, enduring foundation in one of the most important pillars of modern electrical engineering, guided by an expert from one of India's premier institutions.
Enroll Now →