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FSS CST Tutorial

A tutorial on designing a FSS in CST MWS

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Iftikhar Ahmed
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2K views10 pages

FSS CST Tutorial

A tutorial on designing a FSS in CST MWS

Uploaded by

Iftikhar Ahmed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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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Common questions

Powered by AI

In CST MICROWAVE STUDIO, setting up a project for simulating an FSS involves selecting "Microwaves & RF" as the application area, configuring the frequency range of interest (e.g., 10-20 GHz), and choosing the "Periodic Structures FSS, Metamaterial - Unit cell Frequency Domain Solver" workflow. The user then creates the structure by defining a substrate and the ring resonator, and can use Floquet port and unit cell boundary conditions to accurately model the periodicity .

CST MWS simplifies FSS setup by offering project templates that pre-configure simulation settings, including boundary conditions and parameterized incident angles. The software provides standard templates for periodic structures, aiding in quickly configuring Floquet port modes. Additionally, CST MWS supports a graphical user interface that automates mesh refinement and analysis of S-parameters, reducing user workload and enhancing simulation efficiency .

Adaptive tetrahedral mesh refinement focuses on improving the accuracy of the transmission S-parameters, which is more critical in the pass band where transmission occurs. In the stop band, transmission is largely blocked, thus refinement is less crucial. The adaptive process ensures that the simulation captures the intricate details of field behavior where transmission is significant, making pass band refinement more beneficial .

The stability of the resonant frequency of an FSS on curved structures like radomes is influenced by the type of resonator used; for a given polarization, ring resonators are particularly stable with changes in the scan angle. The unit cell simulation ensures that the resonant frequency remains consistent despite variations in angle of incidence, contributing to overall stability .

Floquet port modes are significant in simulating FSS because they allow for the modeling of plane waves incident from various angles, enabling the simulation of reflections and transmissions as they would occur in real-world applications. These modes help automatically set directions for reflected and transmitted waves, thereby accurately depicting the electromagnetic behavior of the FSS under different incident angles and polarizations .

The primary simulation results of interest when analyzing an FSS are the S-parameters, which provide insights into reflection and transmission characteristics. Specifically, the performances such as the complete blocking of transmission at resonant frequencies and nearly complete reflection are crucial. These results allow determination of the FSS's frequency filtering capabilities, effectiveness of mode interaction, and bandwidth properties .

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO allows for efficient simulation of Frequency Selective Surfaces by using a unit cell boundary condition approach to reduce computational resources, automatically applying unit cell boundaries, and setting Floquet port excitations. This method enables rapid and accurate simulation of large surfaces, and the software supports parameter sweeps and automated mesh refinement for accurate results .

Performing simulations at multiple mesh adaptation frequencies allows for greater accuracy across different frequency ranges. Since the FSS exhibits different electromagnetic behavior across its functional bandwidth, adapting mesh settings at various frequencies enables capturing both high-resolution details in pass bands and reliable reflections in stop bands. This approach improves overall simulation fidelity and supports comprehensive design evaluations .

Conducting a parameter sweep of the incident angle allows for the analysis of how changes in angle affect the resonant frequency and transmission characteristics of an FSS. It enables the comparison of transmission coefficients for different modes (e.g., TE and TM), revealing how scan angles affect the transmission properties, especially the dependency on theta for the TE mode. The ability to visualize these changes aids in optimizing FSS design for various applications .

In CST MWS simulations of an FSS, co-polar and cross-polar coupling are represented using S-parameters. Co-polarized reflection and transmission are denoted, for instance, as SZmin(1),Zmin(1) for reflection at port Zmin, while cross-polarized transmission is represented as SZmax(1),Zmin(2). The S-parameters quantify reflection and transmission for different mode interactions, useful for analyzing mode coupling characteristics .

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