Measuring the speed of electromagnetic waves using the cross correlation function of broadband noise at the ends of a transmission line

Abstract

When one end of a transmission line is connected to a broadband noise generator, sharp peaks are visible in the cross-correlation function of the signals at both ends of the line. The speed of the electromagnetic waves can be deduced from the time when the peaks appear. The method is suitable for introducing the concepts of cross-correlation functions and noise analysis in an undergraduate physics laboratory