Fundamentals of FDTD

The Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) technique is a popular method of electromagnetic field computations, due to its simplicity and versatility, which is implemented in numerous software packages. This presentation is aimed at describing the fundamental concepts, along with the present and emerging applications of FDTD, with emphasis on problems of interest for microwave engineering. Topics will include error, order of accuracy, numerical stability and dispersion of finite-difference schemes, enforcement of source and boundary conditions, and implementation of absorbing boundaries including the perfectly matched layer (PML) absorber. These topics will be discussed from the perspective of the end-user of an FDTD package.