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Yes / This work presents the development of a new approach of modelling the source excitation and the penetration of structures by continuous propagating electromagnetic (EM) plane waves. The technique incorporates the solution of time-dependent Maxwell's equations and the initial value problem as the structures are illuminated by the plane waves. The propagation of waves from source excitation is simulated by solving a finite-difference Maxwell's equation in the time domain. Subgridding method is used to condense the lattice at the point of interest locally for observing field distribution in high resolution. The computational burden due to huge number of time steps has been eased by employing quasi-static approach. An example of induced EM fields near an underground pipeline runs parallel to a 132 kV overhead power transmission line (OHTL) has been presented which paves the way in the development of new approach of EM fields interaction modelling. / MSCRC

The main objective of this research is to model and analyse complex electromagnetic problems by means of a new hybridised computational technique combining the frequency domain Method of Moments (MoM), Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method and a subgridded Finite-Difference Time-Domain (SGFDTD) method. This facilitates a significant advance in the ability to predict electromagnetic absorption in inhomogeneous, anisotropic and lossy dielectric materials irradiated by geometrically intricate sources. The Method of Moments modelling employed a two-dimensional electric surface patch integral formulation solved by independent linear basis function methods in the circumferential and axial directions of the antenna wires. A similar orthogonal basis function is used on the end surface and appropriate attachments with the wire surface are employed to satisfy the requirements of current continuity. The surface current distributions on structures which may include closely spaced parallel wires, such as dipoles, loops and helical antennas are computed. The results are found to be stable and showed good agreement with less comprehensive earlier work by others. The work also investigated the interaction between overhead high voltage transmission lines and underground utility pipelines using the FDTD technique for the whole structure, combined with a subgridding method at points of interest, particularly the pipeline. The induced fields above the pipeline are investigated and analysed. FDTD is based on the solution of Maxwell's equations in differential form. It is very useful for modelling complex, inhomogeneous structures. Problems arise when open-region geometries are modelled. However, the Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) concept has been employed to circumvent this difficulty. The establishment of edge elements has greatly improved the performance of this method and the computational burden due to huge numbers of time steps, in the order of tens of millions, has been eased to tens of thousands by employing quasi-static methods. This thesis also illustrates the principle of the equivalent surface boundary employed close to the antenna for MoM-FDTD-SGFDTD hybridisation. It depicts the advantage of using hybrid techniques due to their ability to analyse a system of multiple discrete regions by employing the principle of equivalent sources to excite the coupling surfaces. The method has been applied for modelling human body interaction with a short range RFID antenna to investigate and analyse the near field and far field radiation pattern for which the cumulative distribution function of antenna radiation efficiency is presented. The field distributions of the simulated structures show reasonable and stable results at 900 MHz. This method facilitates deeper investigation of the phenomena in the interaction between electromagnetic fields and human tissues.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The parallel FDTD method as used in computational electromagnetics is implemented on a variety of different high performance computing platforms. These parallel FDTD implementations have regularly been compared in terms of performance or purchase cost, but very little systematic consideration has been given to how much effort has been used to create the parallel FDTD for a specific computing architecture. The deployment effort for these platforms has changed dramatically with time, the deployment time span used to create FDTD implementations in 1980 ranging from months, to the contemporary scenario where parallel FDTD methods can be implemented on a supercomputer in a matter of hours. This thesis compares the effort required to deploy the parallel FDTD on selected computing platforms from the constituents that make up the deployment effort, such as coding complexity and time of coding. It uses the deployment and performance of the serial FDTD method on a single personal computer as a benchmark and examines the deployments of the parallel FDTD using different parallelisation techniques. These FDTD deployments are then analysed and compared against one another in order to determine the common characteristics between the FDTD implementations on various computing platforms with differing parallelisation techniques. Although subjective in some instances, these characteristics are quantified and compared in tabular form, by using the research information created by the parallel FDTD implementations. The deployment effort is of interest to scientists and engineers considering the creation or purchase of an FDTD-like solution on a high performance computing platform. Although the FDTD method has been considered to be a brute force approach to solving computational electromagnetic problems in the past, this was very probably a factor of the relatively weak computing platforms which took very long periods to process small model sizes. This thesis will describe the current implementations of the parallel FDTD method, made up of a combination of several techniques. These techniques can be easily deployed in a relatively quick time frame on computing architectures ranging from IBM’s Bluegene/P to the amalgamation of multicore processor and graphics processing unit, known as an accelerated processing unit. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die parallel Eindige Verskil Tyd Domein (Eng: FDTD) metode word gebruik in numeriese elektromagnetika en kan op verskeie hoë werkverrigting rekenaars geïmplementeer word. Hierdie parallele FDTD implementasies word gereeld in terme van werkverrigting of aankoop koste vergelyk, maar word bitter min sistematies oorweeg in terme van die hoeveelheid moeite wat dit geverg het om die parallele FDTD vir 'n spesifieke rekenaar argitektuur te skep. Mettertyd het die moeite om die platforms te ontplooi dramaties verander, in the 1980's het die ontplooings tyd tipies maande beloop waarteenoor dit vandag binne 'n kwessie van ure gedoen kan word. Hierdie tesis vergelyk die inspanning wat nodig is om die parallelle FDTD op geselekteerde rekenaar platforms te ontplooi deur te kyk na faktore soos die kompleksiteit van kodering en die tyd wat dit vat om 'n kode te implementeer. Die werkverrigting van die serie FDTD metode, geïmplementeer op 'n enkele persoonlike rekenaar word gebruik as 'n maatstaf om die ontplooing van die parallel FDTD met verskeie parallelisasie tegnieke te evalueer. Deur hierdie FDTD ontplooiings met verskillende parallelisasie tegnieke te ontleed en te vergelyk word die gemeenskaplike eienskappe bepaal vir verskeie rekenaar platforms. Alhoewel sommige gevalle subjektief is, is hierdie eienskappe gekwantifiseer en vergelyk in tabelvorm deur gebruik te maak van die navorsings inligting geskep deur die parallel FDTD implementasies. Die ontplooiings moeite is belangrik vir wetenskaplikes en ingenieurs wat moet besluit tussen die ontwikkeling of aankoop van 'n FDTD tipe oplossing op 'n höe werkverrigting rekenaar. Hoewel die FDTD metode in die verlede beskou was as 'n brute krag benadering tot die oplossing van elektromagnetiese probleme was dit waarskynlik weens die relatiewe swak rekenaar platforms wat lank gevat het om klein modelle te verwerk. Hierdie tesis beskryf die moderne implementering van die parallele FDTD metode, bestaande uit 'n kombinasie van verskeie tegnieke. Hierdie tegnieke kan maklik in 'n relatiewe kort tydsbestek ontplooi word op rekenaar argitekture wat wissel van IBM se BlueGene / P tot die samesmelting van multikern verwerkers en grafiese verwerkings eenhede, beter bekend as 'n versnelde verwerkings eenheid.

There is an increasing need for accurate models describing the electrical behaviour of individual biological cells exposed to electromagnetic fields. In this area of solving linear problem, the most frequently used technique for computing the EM field is the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method. When modelling objects that are small compared with the wavelength, for example biological cells at radio frequencies, the standard Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method requires extremely small time-step sizes, which may lead to excessive computation times. The problem can be overcome by implementing a quasi-static approximate version of FDTD, based on transferring the working frequency to a higher frequency and scaling back to the frequency of interest after the field has been computed. An approach to modeling and analysis of biological cells, incorporating the Hodgkin and Huxley membrane model, is presented here. Since the external medium of the biological cell is lossy material, a modified Berenger absorbing boundary condition is used to truncate the computation grid. Linear assemblages of cells are investigated and then Floquet periodic boundary conditions are imposed to imitate the effect of periodic replication of the assemblages. Thus, the analysis of a large structure of cells is made more computationally efficient than the modeling of the entire structure. The total fields of the simulated structures are shown to give reasonable and stable results at 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2450MHz. This method will facilitate deeper investigation of the phenomena in the interaction between EM fields and biological systems. Moreover, the nonlinear response of biological cell exposed to a 0.9GHz signal was discussed on observing the second harmonic at 1.8GHz. In this, an electrical circuit model has been proposed to calibrate the performance of nonlinear RF energy conversion inside a high quality factor resonant cavity with known nonlinear device. Meanwhile, the first and second harmonic responses of the cavity due to the loading of the cavity with the lossy material will also be demonstrated. The results from proposed mathematical model, give good indication of the input power required to detect the weakly effects of the second harmonic signal prior to perform the measurement. Hence, this proposed mathematical model will assist to determine how sensitivity of the second harmonic signal can be detected by placing the required specific input power.

Les nanostructures et les cristaux photoniques en particulier ont enrichi les possibilités de l'optique guidée : guides d'onde de tailles submicroniques, virages à angle droit, cavités résonnantes, fibres. Associés aux guides d'onde traditionnels, ils devraient permettre une intégration d'un nombre croissant de fonction sur le composant : adressage, filtrage spectral, traitement du signal, capteurs... Cependant, la fabrication de telles structures reste un défi technologique, notamment à cause de la parfaite homogénéité ainsi que de la taille nanométrique des gravures qu'elle nécessite. Dans cette thèse, après en avoir déterminé les différents paramètres par calcul de bande et FDTD, nous proposons deux méthodes de fabrication de nanostructures associées à des guides d'onde basées sur l'utilisation d'un faisceau d'ions focalisé (FIB). Une première méthode permet la gravure des nanostructures par FIB seul, une seconde combine l'action du FIB et de la RIE. Les structures sont réalisées sur des substrats où ont été préalablement déposés les guides d'onde. La fabrication a été validée pour une structure multicouche SiO2/SiON/SiO2 déposée sur un substrat de Silicium. Des résultats partiels ont été obtenus pour le niobate de lithium, qui est un matériau difficile à nanostructurer par les méthodes habituelles. Enfin un microscope en champ proche optique de type SNOM a été développé dans le but de caractériser les nanostructures, cette méthode étant imposée par le fort confinement de la lumière.

Les cellules solaires en couches minces permettent de produire de l'énergie à bas-coût et sans émission de gaz à effet de serre. Dans le but de réaliser des dispositifs toujours plus performants, nous étudions l'impact de l'intégration de nanostructures métalliques (NSs) au sein de cellules solaires organiques (CSO). Ces NSs peuvent alors générer des effets diffusifs et des résonances issues de plasmons de surface. A l'aide d'un modèle numérique FDTD, nous démontrons que l'ingénierie plasmonique peut servir à augmenter l'absorption dans le matériau photoactif tout en limitant l'énergie perdue sous forme de chaleur dans les NSs. L'influence de paramètres opto-géométriques de structures associant matériaux organiques et effets plasmoniques est étudiée (diamètre, position des particules dans la couche et période du réseau de particules sphériques). Expérimentalement, des NSs d'argent ont été réalisées par évaporation sous vide puis intégrées dans des couches organiques. Nous avons mesuré une exaltation de l'absorption optique dans la gamme spectrale utile à la photo-conversion. Trois architectures différentes de CSO plasmonique ont été fabriquées et caractérisées par MEB, TEM et ToF-SIMS, puis modélisées, permettant d'identifier des verrous technologiques et de proposer des pistes d'amélioration. Nous avons aussi intégré des NSs au sein d'un empilement transparent et conducteur de type oxyde/métal/oxyde, dans le but de remplacer l'électrode classique en oxyde d'indium et d'étain d'une CSO. Le rôle de chaque couche de l'empilement sur le comportement optique de l'électrode est discuté. Les épaisseurs des couches d'une électrode de type ZnO/Ag/ZnO ont été optimisées.

Dans un contexte d'évolution incessante des moyens de communications sans fil, les inquiétudes perdurent malgré les législations existantes. L'accroissement d'usages divers et variés des téléphones mobiles impliquent des questionnements sur l'exposition induite par ces nouveaux usages. Ce manuscrit permet d'enrichir les connaissances en dosimétrie numérique en prenant en considération la variabilité des conditions d'utilisation. Pour une évaluation précise de l'exposition, la méthode des Différences Finies dans le Domaine Temporel (FDTD) qui a prouvé son efficacité, est employée. L'objectif est de quantifier précisément le Débit d'Absorption Spécifique (DAS) induit dans des organes comme le cerveau et les organes reproducteurs. Dans cette analyse, une attention particulière sera portée sur les usages potentiels des téléphones portables par les enfants. Le choix des configurations couvre différentes technologies, usages et bandes de fréquences permettant d'étudier la sensibilité du DAS à la variabilité de ces paramètres, pour une meilleure maîtrise de l'exposition réelle, au-delà du problème de la conformité. Le nombre important des variables oblige à simplifier les modèles de simulation par la construction de méta-modèles statistiques afin de réduire les coûts de calcul. La méthode spectrale par Chaos Polynomial (CP) dédiée à la gestion des incertitudes et à l'analyse de sensibilité est adoptée pour la mise en place d'un modèle approché du DAS. Afin d'aboutir à une représentation par CP fiable et peu coûteuse en termes de simulations, l'utilisation par CP creux et adaptatif est appliquée. Seuls les termes les plus significatifs sont retenus dans la décomposition par CP. Cette approche est appliquée aux problèmes en dosimétrie numérique afin de propager les incertitudes portant sur les paramètres d'entrée dans les simulations et de quantifier l'impact de ces incertitudes sur l'exposition (e.g. impact de la localisation du téléphone sur la dispersion du DAS) avec un faible coût de calcul

The aim of this study is to analysis, investigate and find out the solutions for the problems associated with the implementations of antennas RFID Reader and Tag for various applications. In particular, the efficiency of the RFID reader antenna and the detection range of the RFID tag antenna, subject to a small and compact antenna's design configuration have been studied. The present work has been addressed directly to reduce the cost, size and increase the detection range and communication reliability of the RFID framework antennas. Furthermore, the modelling concept of RFID passive tags mounted on various materials including the novel design of RFID reader antenna using Genetic Algorithm (GA) are considered and discussed to maintain reliable and efficient antenna radiation performances. The main benefit of applying GA is to provide fast, accurate and reliable solutions of antenna's structure. Therefore, the GA has been successfully employed to design examples: meander-line, two linear cross elements and compact Helical- Spiral antennas. In addition, a hybrid method to model the human body interaction with RFID tag antenna operating at 900MHz has been studied. The near field distribution and the radiation pattern together with the statistical distribution of the radiation efficiency and the absorbed power in terms of cumulative distribution functions for different orientation and location of RFID's tag antenna on the human body have been demonstrated. Several tag antennas wi th symmetrical and unsymmetrical structure configurations operating in the European UHF band 850-950 MHz have been fabricated and tested. . The measured and simulated results have been found to be in a good agreement with reasonable impedance matching to the typical input impedance of an RFID integrated circuit chip and nominal power gain and radiation patterns.

<div>The rapid development of topology optimization in photonics has greatly expanded the number of photonic structures with extraordinary performance. The optimization is usually solved by using a gradient-based optimization algorithm, where gradients are evaluated by the adjoint sensitivity analysis. While the adjoint sensitivity analysis has been demonstrated to provide reliable gradients for designs of dielectrics, there has not been too much success in plasmonics. The difficulty of obtaining accurate field solutions near sharp edges and corners in plasmonic structures, and the strong field enhancement jointly increase the numerical error of gradients, leading to failure of convergence for any gradient-based algorithm. </div><div> </div><div>We present a new method of calculating accurate sensitivity with the FDTD method by direct differentiation of the time-marching system in frequency domain. This new method supports general frequency-domain objective functions, does not relay on implementation details of the FDTD method, works with general isotropic materials and can be easily incorporated into both level-set-based and density-based topology optimizations. The method is demonstrated to have superior accuracy compared to the traditional continuous sensitivity. Next, we present a framework to carry out density-based topology optimization using our new sensitivity formula. We use the non-linear material interpolation to counter the rough landscape of plasmonics, adopt the filteringand-projection regularization to ensure manufacturability and perform the optimization with a continuation scheme to improve convergence. </div><div> </div><div>We give two examples involving reconstruction of near fields of plasmonic structures to illustrate the robustness of the sensitivity formula and the optimization framework. In the end, we apply our method to generate a rectangular temperature profile in the recording medium of the HAMR system. </div>