Novel time-domain methods for efficient modelling and design of RF/microwave circuit structures for emerging wireless technology applications

New RF/microwave radio systems are emerging for innovative wireless technology applications such as asset tracking, environmental sensing and medical monitoring. These radios are often required to be low cost, small size and low power consumption and, at the same time, to have multi-channel and multi-standard functionality, to operate at a high frequency and with a possible wide frequency band. These requirements have always presented difficult challenges for radio designers, since high frequency effects such as parasitics, mutual coupling, radiation and interference can no longer be neglected. In addressing the problems, time-domain electromagnetic modelling techniques that can accurately predict radio wave or signal behaviors over a wide frequency bandwidth have been developed and become increasing popular. However, most of these time-domain methods are still constrained by their inherent numerical properties and, therefore, are limited mostly to electrically small structures that are not very useful to real-world problems. The proposed research program is intended to tackle the issue by developing methods and techniques that break with conventional approaches to time-domain modelling.The methodology to be applied will be based on our recently developed theoretical framework that generalizes numerical time-domain methods. With this theory, novel time-domain methods that require no pre-defined numerical grids but instead employ a set of nodes will be developed. Also, new solution and time-domain diakoptic extraction methods will be developed. Since no other similar techniques have been reported so far, the success of this project will present a new break-through in time-domain simulation and optimization methodologies. The end results will be generic time-domain simulators and optimizers as well as novel devices that can be used for a broad range of emerging wireless technology designs and applications.