Meaning
Region of space immediately surrounding a transmitting antenna where the non-propagating, inductive, and capacitive fields dominate over the radiating fields. In compact consumer electronics, the reactive near field contains stored energy that interacts directly with nearby objects, including the device’s own chassis and the user’s body. This region extends from the antenna surface out to a distance of approximately one wavelength.
Energy Storage
Electric and magnetic fields in this region are out of phase, which means they do not transfer power away from the source. Instead, the reactive near field acts as a reservoir of energy that oscillates back and forth between the antenna and the transmitter. Any conductive or dielectric material placed in this region will alter the antenna’s impedance and cause detuning.
User Interaction
Human tissue behaves as a lossy dielectric when placed in close proximity to the radiating structure. When a user’s hand or head enters the reactive near field, it absorbs energy from the stored field, which reduces the radiated power and causes localized tissue heating. This interaction is the primary reason why wireless devices must implement power reduction mechanisms when used close to the body.
These mechanisms use proximity sensors to detect the user’s presence and automatically lower the transceiver’s output power before any significant exposure occurs.
Design Constraint
Component layout must keep sensitive circuits away from this high-field region. If digital lines are placed within the reactive near field, they can pick up high-frequency noise, which leads to interference. Designers must maintain strict keep-out zones on the board to prevent this coupling from degrading the receiver sensitivity.