Waveguide system comprising a scattering device for generating a second non-fundamental wave mode from a first non-fundamental wave mode

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that facilitates directing a first electromagnetic wave to a device positioned along a transmission medium, the device facilitating a perturbation of the first electromagnetic wave, and the first electromagnetic wave having a first field intensity near an outer surface of the transmission medium, and generating, by the device, a second electromagnetic wave having a second field intensity near the outer surface of the transmission medium that is lower than the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A waveguide system, comprising:
 a transceiver that generates a first electromagnetic wave guided by a transmission medium;   a horn structure placed along a longitudinal path of the transmission medium; and   a scattering device positioned along the transmission medium within the horn structure,   wherein the first electromagnetic wave has a first field intensity near an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium directs the first electromagnetic wave to the scattering device,   wherein the scattering device generates a second electromagnetic wave having a second field intensity near the outer surface of the transmission medium that differs from the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave near the outer surface of the transmission medium, and   wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path.   
     
     
         2 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device facilitates modifying a phase of the first electromagnetic wave. 
     
     
         3 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device comprises a plurality of scattering components. 
     
     
         4 . The waveguide system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of scattering components comprises a cascading variable thickness. 
     
     
         5 . The waveguide system of  claim 4 , wherein the cascading variable thickness increases for the plurality of scattering components in a direction longitudinally away from the waveguide system. 
     
     
         6 . The waveguide system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of scattering components is separated along the transmission medium by a factor of a wavelength of the first electromagnetic wave when traversing the plurality of scattering components. 
     
     
         7 . The waveguide system of  claim 3 , wherein each scattering component of the plurality of scattering components has a symmetric structure. 
     
     
         8 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device facilitates adjusting a field of the first electromagnetic wave thereby modifying a first non-fundamental wave mode of the first electromagnetic wave, and wherein the modifying the first non-fundamental wave mode of the first electromagnetic wave generates the second electromagnetic wave having a second non-fundamental wave mode. 
     
     
         9 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device comprises a movable first scattering component and a movable second scattering component placed about an axis of the transmission medium. 
     
     
         10 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device has an azimuthal variation that causes the second field intensity of the second electromagnetic wave to be lower near the outer surface of the transmission medium than the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave near the outer surface of the transmission medium. 
     
     
         11 . The waveguide system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering device has a radial dimension that causes the second field intensity of the second electromagnetic wave to be lower near the outer surface of the transmission medium than the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave near the outer surface of the transmission medium. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 generating, by a waveguide system, a first electromagnetic wave having a first field intensity near an outer surface of a transmission medium;   directing, by the waveguide system, the first electromagnetic wave to a scattering device positioned along the transmission medium; and   generating, by the scattering device, a second electromagnetic wave having a second field intensity near the outer surface of the transmission medium that is different from the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the scattering device facilitates modifying a phase of the first electromagnetic wave. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the scattering device facilitates adjusting a field of the first electromagnetic wave thereby modifying a first non-fundamental wave mode of the first electromagnetic wave, and wherein the modifying the first non-fundamental wave mode of the first electromagnetic wave generates the second electromagnetic wave having a second non-fundamental wave mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the scattering device has an azimuthal variation that causes the second field intensity of the second electromagnetic wave to be lower near the outer surface of the transmission medium than the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave near the outer surface of the transmission medium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the scattering device has a radial dimension that causes the second field intensity of the second electromagnetic wave to be lower near the outer surface of the transmission medium than the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave near the outer surface of the transmission medium. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system associated with a waveguide system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 generating, by the waveguide system, a first electromagnetic wave having a first field intensity near an outer surface of a transmission medium;   directing, by the waveguide system, the first electromagnetic wave to a scattering device having one or more scattering components positioned along the transmission medium; and   transmitting, by the scattering device, a second electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave has a second field intensity near the outer surface of the transmission medium that is different from the first field intensity of the first electromagnetic wave, and wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more scattering components are configured to adjust an azimuthal variation of a field of the first electromagnetic wave to generate the second electromagnetic wave. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more scattering components comprise a dielectric material, a metallic material, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.