Finite-difference time-domain methods

F. L. Teixeira, C. Sarris, Y. Zhang, D. Y. Na, J. P. Berenger, Y. Su, M. Okoniewski, W. C. Chew, V. Backman, J. J. Simpson*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is a widespread numerical tool for full-wave analysis of electromagnetic fields in complex media and for detailed geometries. Applications of the FDTD method cover a range of time and spatial scales, extending from subatomic to galactic lengths and from classical to quantum physics. Technology areas that benefit from the FDTD method include biomedicine — bioimaging, biophotonics, bioelectronics and biosensors; geophysics — remote sensing, communications, space weather hazards and geolocation; metamaterials — sub-wavelength focusing lenses, electromagnetic cloaks and continuously scanning leaky-wave antennas; optics — diffractive optical elements, photonic bandgap structures, photonic crystal waveguides and ring-resonator devices; plasmonics — plasmonic waveguides and antennas; and quantum applications — quantum devices and quantum radar. This Primer summarizes the main features of the FDTD method, along with key extensions that enable accurate solutions to be obtained for different research questions. Additionally, hardware considerations are discussed, plus examples of how to extract magnitude and phase data, Brillouin diagrams and scattering parameters from the output of an FDTD model. The Primer ends with a discussion of ongoing challenges and opportunities to further enhance the FDTD method for current and future applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number75
JournalNature Reviews Methods Primers
Volume3
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2023

Funding

F.L.T. acknowledges support from the US Department of Energy Grant No. DE-SC0022982 through the NSF/DOE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering. Part of the material from J.J.S. is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1662318. C.S. acknowledges support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a Discovery Grant. The authors acknowledge the help of K. Niknam in the generation of Fig. using input data provided by T. Reichler.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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