FSS: Simulation of Resonator Array

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FSS: Simulation of Resonator Array

Tutorials

ABSTRACT
AFrequencySelectiveSurface(FSS)isaperiodicassemblyofone-ortwo-dimensionalresonantstructures,eitheras
aperturesinathinconductingsheetorasmetallicpatchesonasubstrate,whichmayhaveaband-passorband-stop
function respectively. The increasing interest within the high-frequency community in this sort of structure has also
made its accurate simulation increasingly important.This tutorial describes how an FSS structure may be simulated
efficiently using CST MICROWAVE STUDIO (CST MWS). A simple unit cell of a ring resonator band-stop infinite
arrayisconsideredasanexample.

Contents
Introduction
Physicaldescription
CSTMICROWAVESTUDIOModel
Simulationresults
Parametersweepanalysis
Conclusion

Introduction
Physical description
Frequency selective surfaces are increasingly used for the frequency filtering of plane waves in radar or
communicationssystems.Aone-ortwo-dimensionalperiodicarrayofresonantstructuresonabackingmaterial,either
apertures in a metallic sheet or metallic patches on a substrate, acts as a filter for a plane wave arriving from any
angle of incidence. In this examplean arrayoffull wavelength resonant conducting rings ona dielectric substrate is
simulated.SincetheFSSwouldbeusedoncurvedstructureslikeradomes,itisdesirablethattheFSShavethesame
resonantfrequencyforallincidentplanewaveangles.Foragivenpolarisation,ringresonatorsareknowntobestable
withthescanangle.CSTMICROWAVESTUDIO(CSTMWS)canbeusedtoestablishtheangulardependenceofthe
resonantfrequency.
CST MICROWAVE STUDIO Model: Parameter definition and preliminary settings
The simulation of an entire array of resonant rings would be prohibitively time and memory consuming. The use of
CSTMWSsunitcellboundaryconditionsinthedirectionsofperiodicityallowsarapidbutnolessaccuratesimulation
oflargesurfaces.SettingupthesimulationmaybegreatlyeasedbyusingtheFSS-UnitCell(FD)template,which
automaticallyappliesunitcellboundaryconditionsinthex-andy-directionsandsetsupFloquetportexcitationsinthe
positive and negative z-directions. There is no need to define master and slave boundary conditions; the phase
relationoftheopposingboundariesisautomaticallysetbyspecifyingtheincidentangleoftheinwardtravellingplane
wave.

CreateaNewProject
AfterlaunchingtheCSTSTUDIOSUITEyouwillenterthestartscreenshowingyoualistofrecentlyopenedprojects
and allowing you to specify the application which suits your requirements best. The easiest way to get started is to
configureaprojecttemplatewhichdefinesthebasicsettingsthataremeaningfulforyourtypicalapplication.Therefore
clickontheCreate Projectbutton intheNew Projectsection.
Nextyoushouldchoosetheapplicationarea,whichis Microwaves & RFfortheexampleinthistutorialandthenselect
theworkflowbydouble-clickingonthecorrespondingentry.

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FSS: Simulation of Resonator Array

For the frequency selective surface, please select Periodic Structures

FrequencyDomainSolver

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FSS, Metamaterial - Unit cell

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Atlastyouarerequestedtoselecttheunitswhichfityourapplicationbest.Forthefrequencyselectivesurface,please
leavethesettingsasfollows:

Dimensions:
Frequency:

mm
GHz

Forthespecific applicationin this tutorialtheother settingscanbeleftunchanged.In thenextstepofsettingupthe

projecttemplateyouareaskedtoenterthefrequencyrangeofinterestanddefinefieldmonitors.Intheparticularcase
ofourmodelwesettheminimumfrequencyto10GHzandthemaximumfrequencyto20GHz.AfterclickingtheNext
button,youcangivetheprojecttemplateanameandreviewasummaryofyourinitialsettings:

FinallyclicktheFinishbuttontosavetheprojecttemplateandtocreateanewprojectwithappropriatesettings.CST
MICROWAVESTUDIOwillbelaunchedautomaticallyduetothechoiceoftheapplicationareaMicrowaves & RF.

Createstructure
Itisonlynecessarytoconstructasingleringonitsbackingsubstrate.Constructionofthegeometryitselfissimple:a
substrate is defined using a brick primitive object, and then a hollow cylinder can be used to create the ring. The
conductingringisalossymetaltypecopper,andthesubstrateisArlonAD300witharelativepermittivityof3.

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TheincidentangleoftheincomingplanewavemaybespecifiedbysettinganglesThetaandPhi,bothofwhichhave
already been parameterized by the template. The periodicity of the FSS is also freely configurable as shown below.
Different periodicitiescan be assigned in thex-and y-directions, and the use of askewedlattice is alsopossible by
specifyingthegridangle(thiscanbeusefulforsimulatingcompactcloselycoupledarrays).

TheincidentplanewaveangleandunitcellperiodicityoftheFSSarefreelyconfigurable.

For off-normal incident angles the Floquet port modes ensure that the reflected wave is recorded in the direction of
opticalreflection,whilethetransmissionisinthesamedirectionastheincidentwave.Thisiselucidatedbythefigure
below.

IncidentandtransmitteddirectionsareautomaticallysetbytheFloquetmodes.

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Theperiodicitycanalsobespecified,asinthisexample,bysettingthesizeofthesubstratetothedesiredperiodicity,
thencheckingtheFit unit cell to bounding boxcheckbox.

Unitcellboundaryconditionscanbesettofittheboundingbox.

Thedefault Floquetportsettingsexcitetwoplanewaveswithorthogonalelectricfieldsasshownbelow(TE(0,0)and
TM(0,0) modes), but higher order modes may also be specified in the port properties dialog (Details). Co-polar and
cross-polarcouplingbetweenthemodes,bothreflectionandtransmission,arerepresentedintermsofS-parameters.
The co-polarised reflection of mode 1 at port Zmin would thus, for example, be named SZmin(1),Zmin(1), and the
cross-polarisedtransmissionbetweenmodes2and1SZmax(1),Zmin(2).

TE(0,0)mode,electricfield.

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TM(0,0)mode,electricfield.

HigherorderorcircularlypolarizedFloquetmodesmaybedefined.

SolverSetup

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Oncethegeometry isconstructed,thesimulation conditionsare setup,and some field monitorshave been defined,

thefrequencysolvercanbestarted(witheitherahexahedralortetrahedralmesh).
Themonitors'frequencyischosenasthesingleadaptivetetrahedralmeshrefinementfrequency:

Simulation results
Of primary interest in this case are the S-parameter results, which represent the reflection from and transmission
throughtheFSS.Theco-polarreflectionsandtransmissionsofbothmodesarealmostidenticalduetothesymmetrical
circular rings(the slightdifference is due to thetetrahedralmesh).The transmission isalmostcompletely blocked at
14.81 GHz, as seen from the SZmin(1),Zmax(1) of about -53 dB, and the reflection is almost complete (SZmax
(1),Zmax(1)-0.02dB).
Please note that the adaptive tetrahedral mesh refinement usually should be performed in the pass band of a filter
ratherthaninthestopbandtofocusontheaccuracyofthetransmissionS-parameters.Astheadaptationfrequency
was forced to 15 GHz, the solver detects this situation and recommends to move the adaptation frequency.
Alternatively,morethanonemeshadaptationfrequencycanbespecified.Seethefrequencydomainsolveroverview
fordetails.

ReflectionfromandtransmissionthroughtheFSS.

A view of the electric field magnitudes at 14.78 GHz (which can be calculated after the simulation by using the
Calculate fields at axismarkeroption from the 1Dplot'scontextmenu)reveals thetwofull-wavelengthresonances
duetothetwoFloquetportmodes.

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ElectricfieldsattheresonancewiththeplanewaveFloquetmodeTE(0,0)excited.

ElectricfieldsattheresonancewiththeplanewaveFloquetmodeTM(0,0)excited.

Parameter sweep analysis

Asmentionedpreviously,thedependenceoftheFSSresonantfrequencyontheangleoftheincidentplanewaveisof
interest. A parameter sweep can be set up to vary the incident angle, in this case theta from 0 to 50 degrees. The
reflectionandtransmissioncoefficientscanbeinvestigatedasapost-processingstep,eitherbyviewingtheparametric

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results for the S-parameters, or by extracting data with a result template. In the following here the transmission
coefficientsofTEandTMmodewillbecompared.

AparametersweepcanbesetuptoobservetheeffectofscanangleontheFSStransmissioncharacteristics.

Thetransmission coefficientof the TE modeshowsgreater dependence onvariation ofthescanangleinthetathan

theTMmodedoes.Thisistobeexpectedsincetheincidentwavesdirectionofincidencehasnotchangedrelativeto
thetopandbottomoftherings(asorientedinthefieldplotsabove),onlytotheleftandright.

EffectofvaryingthetaontransmissionoftheTEmodethroughtheFSS.

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EffectofvaryingthetaontransmissionoftheTMmodethroughtheFSS.

Conclusion
ThistutorialhasdescribedhowCSTMWSmaybeusedforthesimulationoffrequencyselectivesurfaces.Thesetup
of the simulation may be greatly simplified by using a template which configures the simulation appropriately and
generatesFloquetportmodeswithparameterizedincidentangleoftheplanewave.Oncethegeometryofasinglecell
hasbeenconstructedtheperiodicitycanbesetupveryflexibly.ReflectionsfromandtransmissionsthroughtheFSS
canbeobservedeasilyusingthefamiliarS-parameterrepresentation.Finally,aparametersweepoftheincidentwave
anglecanbeperformedtoinvestigateitseffectontheperformanceoftheFSS.

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