This thesis presents an analysis of the behavior of an equiangular spiral antenna using a mixture of numerical and measurement techniques. The antenna is studied as an isolated element and as a part of a spiral-based ground-penetrating radar (GPR) detection system. The numerical modeling was based on the parallelized finite-difference time-domain method and the model was validated by comparison with a prototype antenna and detection system. The intention is to isolate the effect of varying different geometrical parameters that define the spiral element or the spiral GPR system. With some notion of each parameter's effect, systems that use the spiral antenna can be designed more easily. The analysis of the spiral antenna in isolation provides a set of design graphs for the antenna. A set of design graphs are constructed that allow one to better understand the effect of the chosen dielectric substrate on the characteristic impedance of the antennas. A second set of design graphs give very specific data about the lower cut-off frequency possible for the antennas given a requirement on its minimum boresight gain, axial ratio, or voltage standing-wave ratio when matched with an appropriate transmission line. The analysis of the spiral antenna in the context of a detection system provides information on the effect of the ground on the GPR system and to what extent the circular polarization properties of the spiral antenna play a role in GPR. It is shown that a spiral antenna used in a monostatic radar configuration will reject a symmetric scatterer well into the near-field. The importance of a resistive loading to the spiral arms is demonstrated for this rejection to be optimal. In addition, it is shown that increasing the dielectric constant of the ground narrows the pattern and polarization properties, making the antenna more directive towards boresight when the spiral antennas radiate into a flat ground. In addition to this work, a method for reducing the truncation error when calculating the planewave spectrum of an antenna is described.

A novel technique of coupling near-field evanescent waves by means of variable period subwavelength gratings (1.2 ìm and 1.0 ìm), using a 1.55 ìm infrared semiconductor laser is presented for the use of an optical MEMS accelerometer. The subwavelength gratings were fabricated on both glass and silicon substrates respectively. Optical simulation of the subwavelength gratings was carried out to obtain the maximum coupling efficiency of the two subwavelength gratings; the grating thickness, grating width, and the grating separation were optimized. This was performed for both silicon and glass substrates. The simulations were used to determine the total system noise, including the noise generated from the germanium photodiode, sensitivity, and displacement detection resolution of the coupled subwavelength grating MEMS accelerometer. The coupled gratings were utilized as optical readout accelerometers. The spring/proof mass silicon accelerometer was fabricated using a four mask process, in which the structure was completed using two deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) processes. The designed serpentine spring styles determine the sensitivity of the accelerometer; when the springs are made longer or shorter, thicker or thinner, this directly attributes to the sensitivity of the device. To test function of the example of the devices, the accelerometer is placed on a platform, which permits displacement normal to the plane of the grating. The 1.550 ìm infrared laser is incident on the coupled subwavelength grating accelerometer device and the output intensity is measured using a geranium photodiode. As the platform is displaced, the grating separation between the two gratings changes and causes the output intensity to change. Using the coupled subwavelength grating simulations as a reference to the output intensity change with respect to gap, the mechanical and coupling sensitivity properties of as it relates to acceleration is presented.

The high-density integrated circuit (IC) gives rise to geometrically complex multiscale chip-package structures whose electromagnetic performance is difficult to predict. This motivates this dissertation to work on an efficient full-wave transient solver that is capable of capturing all the electromagnetic behaviors of such structures with high accuracy and reduced computational complexity compared to the existing methods. In this work, the unconditionally stable Laguerre-FDTD method is adopted as the core algorithm for the transient full-wave solver. As part of this research, skin-effect is rigorously incorporated into the solver which avoids dense meshing inside conductor structures and significantly increases computational efficiency. Moreover, as an alternative to typical planar interconnects for next generation high-speed ICs, substrate integrated waveguide, is investigated. Conductor surface roughness is efficiently modeled to accurately capture its high-frequency loss behavior. To further improve the computational performance of chip-package co-simulation, a novel transient non-conformal domain decomposition method has been proposed. Large-scale chip-package structure can be efficiently simulated by decomposing the computational domain into subdomains with independent meshing strategy. Numerical results demonstrate the capability, accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methods.

No description available.

This thesis investigates the problem of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with human tissues. A Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) code has been developed to model a cellular phone radiating in the presence of a human head. In order to implement the code, FDTD difference equations have been solved in a computational domain truncated by a Perfectly Matched Layer (PML). Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) calculations have been carried out to study safety issues in mobile communication.

This thesis investigates the presence of multiple (quasi-TEM) modes in inverted embedded microstrip lines. It has already been shown that parasitic modes do exist in inverted embedded microstrips due to field leakage inside the dielectric substrate, especially for high dielectric constants (like Silicon). This thesis expands upon that work and characterizes those modes for a variety of geometrical dimensions. Chapter 1 focuses on the theory behind the different transmission line modes, which may be present in inverted embedded microstrips. Based on the structure of the inverted embedded microstrip, the conventional microstrip mode, the quasi-conventional microstrip mode, and the stripline mode are expected. Chapter 2 discusses in detail the techniques used to decompose the total probed field into the various modes present in the inverted embedded microstrip lines. Firstly, a short explanation of the finite-difference time-domain method, that is used for the simulation and modeling of inverted microstrips up to 50 GHz is provided. Next, a flowchart of the process involved in decomposing the modes is laid out. Lastly, the challenges of this approach are also highlighted to give an appreciation of the difficulty in obtaining accurate results. Chapter 3 shows the results (dispersion diagrams, values/percentage of the individual mode energies ) obtained after running time-domain simulations for a variety of geometrical dimensions. Chapter 4 concludes the thesis by explaining the results in terms of the transmission line theory presented in Chapter 1. Next, possible future work is mentioned.

Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να παράσχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες για την πρακτική κατασκευή συσκευών αορατότητας. Αρχικά, παρουσιάζονται οι διαφορετικοί τύποι των δισδιάστατων μέσων μετασχηματισμού (συσκευών αορατότητας) και διαπιστώνεται η υπεροχή του δισδιάστατου μανδύα αορατότητας επιπέδου από διηλεκτρικό. Προκειμένου να διερευνήσουμε αριθμητικά την οπτική συμπεριφορά αυτού του τύπου μανδύα, χρησιμοποιούμε τις εξισώσεις που εξάγονται από τη θεωρία της οπτικής μετασχηματισμών, και μέσω της μεθόδου F.D.T.D υπολογίζουμε το ηλεκτρομαγνητικό πεδίο σε όλα τα σημεία του υπολογιστικού πλέγματος. Στα όρια του πλέγματος αυτού τοποθετείται ένα στρώμα τέλειας προσαρμογής , έτσι ώστε να ελαχιστοποιούνται οι ανακλάσεις στα όρια αυτά, σε αναλογία με το πραγματικό πείραμα. Υλοποιώντας έναν κώδικα σε Μatlab, υπολογίζουμε την ένταση της σκεδαζόμενης ακτινοβολίας, για εγκάρσια μαγνητικά επίπεδα κύματα που προσπίπτουν υπό γωνία σε ένα αντικείμενο που περιβάλλεται από έναν μανδύα από διηλεκτρικό και είναι τοποθετημένο σε επίπεδο. Συγκεκριμένα, μελετάμε: την επίδοση της συσκευής συναρτήσει του βαθμού διακριτοποίησης του αριθμητικού πλέγματος, την επίδραση της απορρόφησης και της τυχαίας διαταραχής της επιτρεπτότητας των δομικών υλικών του μανδύα, καθώς και την επίδοση για πρόσπτωση υπό διαφορετικές γωνίες. Τέλος, εκτιμάμε τις ιδιότητες των στρώσεων από διηλεκτρικά που θα μπορούσαν να περιβάλουν τον μανδύα και να βελτιώσουν την αποδοτικότητά του στο ορατό φάσμα. / This work aims to provide useful information for the fabrication of practical cloaking devices. Initially, different types of two dimensional transformation media (invisibility devices) are presented and it is concluded that the all dielectric, two dimensional electromagnetic ground plane cloak dominates. In order to perform a numerical study of the sensitivity of this type of cloak, we use the equations deduced from the transformation optics via finite difference time domain method, for the electromagnetic wave, at every single point of the numerical domain. In the boundaries of this domain, we place a perfectly matched layer in order to minimize the reflections in those boundaries. That would replicate the real experiment with our simulations. By the application of a code written in Matlab, we calculate the scattering signature of an object surrounded by an all dielectric cloak and placed on a ground plane. Transverse magnetic plane waves are launched at an angle towards the object. In particular, we study the performance of the system as a function of the number of distinct components the cloak is divided into, the effects of lossy elements, the angle of incidence, as well as typical random variations of the permittivity of the building materials. Finally, we evaluate impedance matching layers that can surround the cloak and improve its effectiveness in the visible spectrum.

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is one of most widely used computational electromagnetics (CEM) methods to solve the Maxwell's equations for modern engineering problems. In biomedical applications, like the microwave imaging for early disease detection and treatment, the human tissues are considered as lossy and dispersive materials. The most popular model to describe the material properties of human body is the Debye model. In order to simulate the computational domain as an open region for biomedical applications, the complex-frequency-shifted perfectly matched layers (CFS-PML) are applied to absorb the outgoing waves. The CFS-PML is highly efficient at absorbing the evanescent or very low frequency waves. This thesis investigates the stability of the CFS-PML and presents some conditions to determine the parameters for the one dimensional and two dimensional CFS-PML.The advantages of the FDTD method are the simplicity of implementation and the capability for various applications. However the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition limits the temporal size for stable FDTD computations. Due to the CFL condition, the computational efficiency of the FDTD method is constrained by the fine spatial-temporal sampling, especially in the simulations with the electrically small objects or dispersive materials. Instead of modifying the explicit time updating equations and the leapfrog integration of the conventional FDTD method, the spatial filtered FDTD method extends the CFL limit by filtering out the unstable components in the spatial frequency domain. This thesis implements filtered FDTD method with CFS-PML and one-pole Debye medium, then introduces a guidance to optimize the spatial filter for improving the computational speed with desired accuracy.

L'évolution continue des systèmes de communications sans fil en indoor rend nécessaire le développement des outils de caractérisation et de modélisation de la propagation des ondes électromagnétiques; afin de répondre aux problématiques et besoins d'ingénieur et de garantir une meilleure planification et un fonctionnement optimal des systèmes communicants. Les travaux effectués dans le cadre de cette thèse portent sur la modélisation du rayonnement des antennes en tenant compte de la complexité environnementale. La méthode de modélisation basée sur la FDTD, détaillée au cours de ce manuscrit, permet d'obtenir d'une manière efficace et précise les niveaux de champs, en tenant compte des phénomènes de propagation et d'interaction des ondes radioélectriques dans un environnement quelconque. Des améliorations ayant deux objectifs essentiels, ont été apportées à ce code. Le premier s'est consacré à améliorer ses performances, et le deuxième s'est intéressé à l'intégration d'un modèle de corps humain et d'autres sources d'émission, dans le but d'assurer plus de réalisme à la modélisation effectuée avec ce code. La validation du code FDTD a été menée par des études comparatives réalisées dans trois environnements différents. La première étude a porté sur une communication sans fil à travers des portes étanches métalliques à bord d'un navire. Une bonne précision du code FDTD a été relevée en comparant les résultats obtenus par ce code avec ceux obtenus par des mesures. La deuxième a porté sur la caractérisation du rayonnement d'antennes dans un bureau universitaire. Les résultats obtenus par des mesures effectuées dans cet environnement ont été confrontés aux ceux obtenus par le code FDTD et par d'autres outils de simulation (HFSS et un outil de tracé de rayons "Wireless lnsite"). Ils ont permis de montrer la capacité du code FDTD à fournir les résultats les plus proches des mesures avec un temps de calcul acceptable et sans avoir besoin de grandes ressources informatiques. La dernière étude a porté sur l'effet de la présence humaine dans une chambre en acier. Une comparaison entre les résultats fournis par le code FDTD et ceux obtenus expérimentalement a été réalisée et un bon accord a été observé. / He continuous evolution of wireless communication systems in indoor environments requires the development of characterization and modeling tools for electromagnetic waves propagation, in order to answer the engineer's issues and needs and to ensure the best planning and an optimal operation of the communicating systems. The work carried out during this thesis concerns antenna radiation modeling, taking into account the environment complexity. The modeling method based on FDTD, detailed in this manuscript, provides efficiently and accurately the fields' strengths, taking account of propagation and radio waves interactions phenomena in any environment. Two main objectives of improvement were brought to this code. The first focused on improving its performance, and the second concerned the emission of multi-sources and the integration of a human body model in order to ensure more realism to modeling realized with this code. The validation of the FDTD code was done by comparative studies in three different environments. The first study concerned a wireless communication through metallic watertight doors on ship board. Good accuracy of the FDTD code was noticed by comparing the code's and measurements' results. The second study concerned the antenna radiation within a typical office environment. The results obtained by measurements were compared to those obtained by the FDTD code and other simulation tools (HFSS and the raytracing tool "Wireless lnsite"). They have shown that the FDTD code provides the most accurate results with an acceptable computational time and without big computer resources. The last study examined the human presence effect in a steel room. Measurements' and FDTD code's results were compared and a qood aqreement was obtained.

This work is concerned with the numerical simulation of percussion instruments based on physical principles. Three novel modular environments for sound synthesis are presented: a system composed of various plates vibrating under nonlinear conditions, a model for a nonlinear double membrane drum and a snare drum. All are embedded in a 3D acoustic environment. The approach adopted is based on the finite difference method, and extends recent results in the field. Starting from simple models, the modular instruments can be created by combining different components in order to obtain virtual environments with increasing complexity. The resulting numerical codes can be used by composers and musicians to create music by specifying the parameters and a score for the systems. Stability is a major concern in numerical simulation. In this work, energy techniques are employed in order to guarantee the stability of the numerical schemes for the virtual instruments, by imposing suitable coupling conditions between the various components of the system. Before presenting the virtual instruments, the various components are individually analysed. Plates are the main elements of the multiple plate system, and they represent the first approximation to the simulation of gongs and cymbals. Similarly to plates, membranes are important in the simulation of drums. Linear and nonlinear plate/membrane vibration is thus the starting point of this work. An important aspect of percussion instruments is the modelling of collisions. A novel approach based on penalty methods is adopted here to describe lumped collisions with a mallet and distributed collisions with a string in the case of a membrane. Another point discussed in the present work is the coupling between 2D structures like plates and membranes with the 3D acoustic field, in order to obtain an integrated system. It is demonstrated how the air coupling can be implemented when nonlinearities and collisions are present. Finally, some attention is devoted to the experimental validation of the numerical simulation in the case of tom tom drums. Preliminary results comparing different types of nonlinear models for membrane vibration are presented.