A leap-frog discontinuous Galerkin time-domain method of analyzing electromagnetic scattering problems

Several major challenges need to be faced for efficient transient multiscale electromagnetic simulations, such as flexible and robust geometric modeling schemes, efficient and stable time-stepping algorithms, etc. Fortunately, because of the versatile choices of spatial discretization and temporal integration, a discontinuous Galerkin time-domain(DGTD) method can be a very promising method of solving transient multiscale electromagnetic problems. In this paper, we present the application of a leap-frog DGTD method to the analyzing of the multiscale electromagnetic scattering problems. The uniaxial perfect matching layer(UPML) truncation of the computational domain is discussed and formulated in the leap-frog DGTD context. Numerical validations are performed in the challenging test cases demonstrating the accuracy and effectiveness of the method in solving transient multiscale electromagnetic problems compared with those of other numerical methods.     

Time-Domain Numerical Solutions of Maxwell Interface Problems with Discontinuous Electromagnetic Waves

This paper is devoted to time domain numerical solutions of two-dimensional (2D) material interface problems governed by the transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) Maxwell's equations with discontinuous electromagnetic solutions. Due to the discontinuity in wave solutions across the interface, the usual numerical methods will converge slowly or even fail to converge. This calls for the development of advanced interface treatments for popular Maxwell solvers. We will investigate such interface treatments by considering two typical Maxwell solvers – one based on collocation formulation and the other based on Galerkin formulation. To restore the accuracy reduction of the collocation finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm near an interface, the physical jump conditions relating discontinuous wave solutions on both sides of the interface must be rigorously enforced. For this purpose, a novel matched interface and boundary (MIB) scheme is proposed in this work, in which new jump conditions are derived so that the discontinuous and staggered features of electric and magnetic field components can be accommodated. The resulting MIB time-domain (MIBTD) scheme satisfies the jump conditions locally and suppresses the staircase approximation errors completely over the Yee lattices. In the discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) algorithm – a popular Galerkin Maxwell solver, a proper numerical flux can be designed to accurately capture the jumps in the electromagnetic waves across the interface and automatically preserves the discontinuity in the explicit time integration. The DGTD solution to Maxwell interface problems is explored in this work, by considering a nodal based high order discontinuous Galerkin method. In benchmark TM and TE tests with analytical solutions, both MIBTD and DGTD schemes achieve the second order of accuracy in solving circular interfaces. In comparison, the numerical convergence of the MIBTD method is slightly more uniform, while the DGTD method is more flexible and robust.     

Locally implicit discontinuous Galerkin method for time domain electromagnetics

In the recent years, there has been an increasing interest in discontinuous Galerkin time domain (DGTD) methods for the solution of the unsteady Maxwell equations modeling electromagnetic wave propagation. One of the main features of DGTD methods is their ability to deal with unstructured meshes which are particularly well suited to the discretization of the geometrical details and heterogeneous media that characterize realistic propagation problems. Such DGTD methods most often rely on explicit time integration schemes and lead to block diagonal mass matrices. However, explicit DGTD methods are also constrained by a stability condition that can be very restrictive on highly refined meshes and when the local approximation relies on high order polynomial interpolation. An implicit time integration scheme is a natural way to obtain a time domain method which is unconditionally stable but at the expense of the inversion of a global linear system at each time step. A more viable approach consists of applying an implicit time integration scheme locally in the refined regions of the mesh while preserving an explicit time scheme in the complementary part, resulting in an hybrid explicit–implicit (or locally implicit) time integration strategy. In this paper, we report on our recent efforts towards the development of such a hybrid explicit–implicit DGTD method for solving the time domain Maxwell equations on unstructured simplicial meshes. Numerical experiments for 3D propagation problems in homogeneous and heterogeneous media illustrate the possibilities of the method for simulations involving locally refined meshes.     

Computing electron energy loss spectra with the Discontinuous Galerkin Time-Domain method

In this work, we demonstrate how to extract electron energy loss spectra of metallic nano-particles from time-domain computations. Specifically, we employ the Discontinuous Galerkin Time-Domain (DGTD) method in order to model the excitation of individual metallic nano-spheres and dimers of spheres by a tightly focussed electron beam. The resulting electromagnetic fields that emanate from the particles act back on the electrons and the accumulated effect determines the electrons’ total energy loss. We validate this approach by comparing with analytical results for single spheres. For dimers, we find that the electron beam allows for an efficient excitation of dark modes that are inaccessible for optical spectroscopy. In addition, our time-domain approach provides a basis for dealing with materials that exhibit a significant nonlinear response.     

Full wave modeling of therapeutic ultrasound: efficient time-domain implementation of the frequency power-law attenuation

For the simulation of therapeutic ultrasound applications, a method including frequency-dependent attenuation effects directly in the time domain is highly desirable. This paper describes an efficient numerical time-domain implementation of the power-law attenuation model presented by Szabo [Szabo, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 491-500 (1994)]. Simulations of therapeutic ultrasound applications are feasible in conjunction with a previously presented finite differences time-domain (FDTD) algorithm for nonlinear ultrasound propagation [Ginter et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 2049-2059 (2002)]. Szabo implemented the empirical frequency power-law attenuation using a causal convolutional operator directly in the time-domain equation. Though a variety of time-domain models has been published in recent years, no efficient numerical implementation has been presented so far for frequency power-law attenuation models. Solving a convolutional integral with standard time-domain techniques requires enormous computational effort and therefore often limits the application of such models to 1D problems. In contrast, the presented method is based on a recursive algorithm and requires only three time levels and a few auxiliary data to approximate the convolutional integral with high accuracy. The simulation results are validated by comparison with analytical solutions and measurements.     

Advances in the FDTD design and modeling of nano- and bio-photonics applications

In this paper we focus on the discussion of two recent unique applications of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation method to the design and modeling of advanced nano- and bio-photonic problems. The approach that is adopted here focuses on the potential of the FDTD methodology to address newly emerging problems and not so much on its mathematical formulation. We will first discuss the application of a traditional formulation of the FDTD approach to the modeling of sub-wavelength photonics structures. Next, a modified total/scattered field FDTD approach will be applied to the modeling of biophotonics applications including optical phase contrast microscope (OPCM) imaging of cells containing gold nanoparticles (NPs) as well as its potential application as a modality for in vivo flow cytometry configurations. The conclusion provides a justification for the selection of the two specific examples and summarizes some of the insights that could open the opportunity for the application of the FDTD approach in new research areas.     

Time-domain numerical computation of noise reduction by diffraction and finite impedance of barriers

A new time-domain numerical method is presented for the estimation of noise reduction by the diffraction and finite impedance of barriers. High order finite difference schemes conventionally used for computational aeroacoustics, and time-domain impedance boundary conditions are utilized for the development of the time-domain method. Compared with other methods, this method can be applied more easily to the problems related to nonlinear noise propagation such as impulsive noise and broadband noise. Linearized Euler equations in Cartesian co-ordinates are considered and solved numerically. Straight and T-shaped barriers with and without surface admittance are calculated. In order to assess the accuracy of this time-domain method, comparison with the results of SYSNOISE software (Ver. 5.3) are made. There are very good agreements between the results of the present time-domain numerical method and the boundary element method of the SYSNOISE software.     

两种电磁场谱间断元方法的比较

时域间断元方法是近年来电磁场计算领域的重要进展之一。将基函数的插值点和数值积分点重合的质量集中技术是降低该间断元方法质量矩阵存储开销和提高计算效率的重要手段。通过谐振腔、带通滤波器以及光子晶体内的电磁场等数值算例,在四边形网格上比较了传统的质量集中算法和近来提出的Weight-Adjust算法之间的差异。计算结果表明,尽管两种方法的存储量一样,但Weight-Adjust算法具有更高的精度。     

Interconnect and lumped elements modeling in interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin time-domain methods

In this paper, we present an approach on how to incorporate passive lumped elements such as resistors, capacitors and inductors in DGTD methods and their application to interconnect modeling. Starting from the voltage and current relationships, we derive the equivalent relationships that describe each of the R, L, C in terms of the electric and magnetic fields. Next, these field expressions are weakly enforced through the Interior Penalty (IP) DG formulation. The proposed method is explicit and conditionally stable. Additionally, a local time-stepping strategy is applied to increase efficiency and reduce the computational time. Finally, a numerical example is presented to validate the proposed approach.     

Time-domain simulation of acoustic wave propagation and interaction with flexible structures using Chebyshev collocation method

A time-domain Chebyshev collocation (ChC) method is used to simulate acoustic wave propagation and its interaction with flexible structures in ducts. The numerical formulation is described using a two-dimensional duct noise control system, which consists of an expansion chamber and a tensioned membrane covering the side-branch cavity. Full coupling between the acoustic wave and the structural vibration of the tensioned membrane is considered in the modelling. A systematic method of solution is developed for the discretized differential equations over multiple physical domains. The time-domain ChC model is tested against analytical solutions under two conditions: one with an initial state of wave motion; the other with a time-dependent acoustic source. Comparisons with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are also made. Results show that the time-domain ChC method is highly accurate and computationally efficient for the time-dependent solution of duct acoustic problems. For illustrative purposes, the time-domain ChC method is applied to investigate the acoustic performance of three typical duct noise control devices: the expansion chamber, the quarter wavelength resonator and the drum silencer. The time-dependent simulation of the sound-structure interaction in the drum silencer reveals the delicate role of the membrane mass and tension in its sound reflection capability.     

二维长周期光子晶体的高阶多分辨率分析

针对长周期二维光子晶体带隙特性分析时，由于时间微分离散阶数较低，传统时域多分辨率算法容易出现误差积累而导致入射波发生形变，最后影响带隙特性分析的现象，提出了具有强稳定特性的高阶龙格库塔多分辨率算法，通过高阶的时间迭代来减少晶体结构中数值波的时域形变，得到稳定而准确的带隙特性。结果表明了改进算法在分析长周期光子晶体传输特性时的有效性和可靠性。     

An improved acoustical wave propagator method and its application to a duct structure

The pseudospectral time-domain method has long been used to describe the acoustical wave propagation. However, due to the limitation and difficulties of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) in dealing with nonperiodic problems, the dispersion error is inevitable and the numerical accuracy greatly decreases after the waves arrive at the boundary. To resolve this problem, the Lagrange-Chebyshev interpolation polynomials were used to replace the previous FFT, which, however, brings in an additional restriction on the time step. In this paper, a mapped Chebyshev method is introduced, providing the dual benefit of preserving the spectral accuracy and overcoming the time step restriction at the same time. Three main issues are addressed to assess the proposed technique: (a) Spatial derivatives in the system operator and the boundary treatment; (b) parameter selections; and (c) the maximum time step in the temporal operator. Furthermore, a numerical example involving the time-domain evolution of wave propagation in a duct structure is carried out, with comparisons to those obtained by Euler method, the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, and the exact analytical solution, to demonstrate the numerical performance of the proposed technique.     

Iterative Method for Solving a Problem with Mixed Boundary Conditions for Biharmonic Equation

The solution of boundary value problems (BVP) for fourth order differential equations by their reduction to BVP for second order equations, with the aim to use the available efficient algorithms for the latter ones, attracts attention from many researchers. In this paper, using the technique developed by the authors in recent works we construct iterative method for a problem with complicated mixed boundary conditions for biharmonic equation which is originated from nanofluidic physics. The convergence rate of the method is proved and some numerical experiments are performed for testing its dependence on a parameter appearing in boundary conditions and on the position of the point where a transmission of boundary conditions occurs.     

时域混合算法在一维海面与舰船目标复合电磁散射中的应用

采用时域积分方程(TDIE)与时域基尔霍夫近似(TDKA)的混合算法研究粗糙海面与舰船目标的复合瞬态电磁散射.该方法将舰船目标及其近邻海面划分为TDIE区域,用TDIE方法精确求解;将剩余电大尺寸的粗糙海面划分为TDKA区域,采用高效的TDKA电流近似求解.通过混合算法和传统TDIE算法结果的对比,表明TDIE-TDKA混合算法能保证计算的精度,同时具有较高的计算效率.最后,讨论了海面上方有无目标、海面上方风速、电磁脉冲入射角、舰船目标尺寸、吃水深度对后向散射磁场的影响.     

电磁场2.5维时域间断有限元方法

介质沿空间固定方向均匀分布的结构在电磁导波器件中有十分广泛的应用,对这类器件的分析通常被称为2.5D电磁问题。利用器件在固定方向介质分布均匀的特点,将电磁场量沿该方向进行空间傅里叶变换,可以把对三维问题的分析转化为两维问题求解,从而极大地减小计算开销。针对传统基于差分的2.5D电磁场算法在弯曲形状逼近上有阶梯误差的缺陷,本文提出了基于三角形网格的2.5D时域间断有限元方法（DGTD）,并用它模拟了电偶极子与光纤的耦合效率和光子晶体光纤的色散特性。与基于规则网格的2.5D差分方法进行对比。结果表明,文中建立的2.5D DGTD方法对弯曲形状的模拟更加逼真,计算内存占用最大减少10.4%,计算精度最大相差0.011%,计算时间缩短74.9%,计算效率提高。     

二维光子晶体的龙格库塔多分辨分析

二维光子晶体带隙特性分析过程中,由于传统时域多分辨率算法的时间微分离散阶数较低,所以易导致色散误差积累而使晶体结构内传播波形产生时域形变,大大降低了特性分析的准确性.针对这一现象,提出了可变精度龙格库塔多分辨率算法,算法通过高阶的时间迭代来减少晶体结构中数值波的传播变形,使频率特性分析不再受时间微分引起的波前失真的影响,并在时域和空域上同时具有任意高阶的收敛特性,以得到稳定而准确的带隙特性分析结果.通过具体算例的数值仿真,验证了改进策略在分析光子晶体传输特性时的有效性和可靠性.     

STUDY OF MILLIMETER-WAVE WAVEGUIDES USING A 2-D ORDER-MARCHING TIME-DOMAIN METHOD

In this paper, the application of the order-marching time-domain (OMTD) method to the solution of the cutoff frequencies of TE and TM modes in millimeter-wave waveguides is described. Starting from Maxwell’s two-dimensional (2-D) differential equations for TE or TM case, the OMTD method uses the orthonormality of weighted Laguerre polynomials and Galerkin’s testing procedure to eliminate the temporal variables and results in an order-marching scheme. To verify it’s accuracy and efficiency, the numerical results for millimeter-wave guided systems are compared with those of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and analytical solutions. The OMTD method improves computational efficiency notably, especially for fine grid division problems restricted by stability constraints in the FDTD method. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 60371008) and the CRT Program of UESTC.     

The Huygens subgridding for the numerical solution of the Maxwell equations

The Huygens subgridding (HSG) is a subgridding technique developed for the numerical solution of the Maxwell equations. It relies on the theoretical equivalence of any physical volume with two or more fictitious volumes connected by equivalent currents. The application of this concept to the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been previously published in the one dimensional and two dimensional cases. In this paper the HSG is extended to the general three dimensional case, the exchange of the electromagnetic energy between the two FDTD grids is investigated theoretically, and some modifications to the HSG algorithm are presented with the objective of simplifying its implementation.     

An efficient locally one-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method based on the conformal scheme

An efficient conformal locally one-dimensional finite-difference time-domain(LOD-CFDTD) method is presented for solving two-dimensional(2D) electromagnetic(EM) scattering problems. The formulation for the 2D transverse-electric(TE) case is presented and its stability property and numerical dispersion relationship are theoretically investigated. It is shown that the introduction of irregular grids will not damage the numerical stability. Instead of the staircasing approximation, the conformal scheme is only employed to model the curve boundaries, whereas the standard Yee grids are used for the remaining regions. As the irregular grids account for a very small percentage of the total space grids, the conformal scheme has little effect on the numerical dispersion. Moreover, the proposed method, which requires fewer arithmetic operations than the alternating-direction-implicit(ADI) CFDTD method, leads to a further reduction of the CPU time. With the total-field/scattered-field(TF/SF) boundary and the perfectly matched layer(PML), the radar cross section(RCS) of two2 D structures is calculated. The numerical examples verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.     

Efficient low-storage Runge–Kutta schemes with optimized stability regions

A variety of numerical calculations, especially when considering wave propagation, are based on the method-of-lines, where time-dependent partial differential equations (PDEs) are first discretized in space. For the remaining time-integration, low-storage Runge–Kutta schemes are particularly popular due to their efficiency and their reduced memory requirements. In this work, we present a numerical approach to generate new low-storage Runge–Kutta (LSRK) schemes with optimized stability regions for advection-dominated problems. Adapted to the spectral shape of a given physical problem, those methods are found to yield significant performance improvements over previously known LSRK schemes. As a concrete example, we present time-domain calculations of Maxwell’s equations in fully three-dimensional systems, discretized by a discontinuous Galerkin approach.