Perturbed-TEM analysis of transmission lines with imperfect conductors

A perturbed-transverse electromagnetic (TEM) approach to studying the detailed current distribution and the propagation constant of a multiconductor transmission line system with imperfect conductors is discussed. The perturbed fields are derived assuming that the fields outside the conductors are TEM waves of the corresponding lossless system and those inside the conductors satisfy the transverse magnetic (TM) modal equations. These fields are then inserted into a perturbational formula to obtain the propagation constant of the lossy system. The current distribution and the propagation constant (which clearly illustrates the loss mechanism due to the skin effect and the proximity effect) of a lossy two-wire system are presented as an example