Course Description: Progress in the field of computational science, both hardware and software, has had a major impact in nearly all areas of technology. Its impact on the field of electromagnetics has led to major technological breakthroughs such as micro-antennas for transmit/receive communications in cellular phones, magnetic resonance imaging, stealth technology, microwave imaging, high speed computers and circuits, and optical fibers and waveguides. This progress is due, in large part, to the ability to solve problems that heretofore were impossible to solve using conventional analytic techniques. Because most such techniques require a separable coordinate system, problems involving irregular geometrics or complex materials have only recently been investigated with the advent of computational electromagnetics (CEM). In this course, we will study one or more popular CEM methods, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD). We will investigate its properties for electromagnetic modeling, how to incorporate symmetry to reduce computational costs, and explore several applications including electromagnetic scattering, antenna design, micro-optical modeling, and more.

Course Objectives: This class will develop and apply ID, 2D, 3D and axi-symmetric versions of the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method (FDTD) as they apply to the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations. To this end, we will investigate properties of the FDTD that include: stability, numerical dispersion, source conditions, absorbing boundary conditions, and propagation methods We will apply these codes to electromagnetic scattering, antenna design, micro-optical modeling (to include diffractive optics and photonic band gaps), and active devices such as vertical cavity lasers.

Course Outline by Topical Areas:

Review of Electromagnetics and Analytic Solution Methods

ID and 2D Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method

FDTD properties (Stability, Dispersion, Source conditions, Absorbing boundary conditions)

3D FDTD

FDTD symmetries (2- and 4-fold symmetry, axial symmetry)

Propagation methods (Stratton-Chu, Plane Wave Spectrum, Near-to-Far field transformation)

Anisotropic, Dispersive, Non-linear, and Active Materials

Parallel computational aspects, namely message passing interface (MPI)

Applications (scattering, antennas, micro-optics, photonic band gaps, semiconductor lasers

Course Requirements:

Computer Project: Every other week on the average - 50%

Midterm Project: 20%

Final Project and Presentation: Research level expected - 30%

General Comments: All computer assignments are to be done individually and both results and source code must be turned in.

Degree Applicability:

CE[AA]	CH[NA]	CS[AA]	EE[BDE]	EM[E]	ESM[NA]	MAT[E]
MBA[NA]	ME[E]	MES[BE]	MSE[E]	SE[NA]	SY[AA]

Click here for further information on degree applicability.

NTU Semester Credit Hours: 3
Number of Lecture Hours: 14 (150 minute) lectures - Pretaped Fall 01 - Also CD-ROM and Online
Days Class Meets on Campus: Wednesday

Contributing Scholar:
Dennis W. Prather
Department of Electrical and Computer Engr
University of Delaware
Newark, DE   19716
Phone: 302-831-8170

Fax: 302-831-8179
dprather@ee.udel.edu

Note: Contributing Scholars are responsible for the design, organization, content, and presentation of NTU courses. Online classroom management, student management, and other matters related to academic administration of courses are the responsibility of support "Faculty". Either person is often called "Instructor". To identify and differentiate between these roles, we use the terms "Contributing Scholar" and "Faculty".

Academic/Administrative Contact:  
Baerbel Schumacher
Phone: 302-831-4036
Fax: 302-831-4913
ntu-students@udel.edu


Prerequisites: Introduction to electromagnetics and ability to programming in a high-level language (preferably Matlab).

Textbooks: (Order Materials)

1.	Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, Allen Taltove, Artech House, 2000