Coupling of finite element and moment methods for electromagnetic scattering from inhomogeneous objects

A hybrid formulation which combines the method of moments (MM) with the finite element method (FEM) to solve electromagnetic scattering and/or absorption problems involving inhomogeneous media is discussed. The basic technique is to apply the equivalence principle and transform the original problem into interior and exterior problems, which are coupled on the exterior dielectric body surface through the continuities of the tangential electric field and magnetic field. The interior problem involving inhomogeneous medium is solved by the FEM, and the exterior problem is solved by the MM. The coupling of the interior and exterior problems on their common surface results in a matrix equation for the equivalent current sources for the interior and exterior problems. Combining advantages of both methods allows complicated inhomogeneous problems with arbitrary geometry to be treated in a straightforward manner. The validity and accuracy of the formulation are checked by two-dimensional numerical results, which are compared with the exact eigenfunction solution, the unimoment solution, and Richmond´s pure moment solution