A Method to Model Thin Conductive Layers in the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method

This paper presents a new approach for modeling of electrically thin conductive shields in the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The method is based on representation of the relation between the fields at two faces of the shield as an impedance boundary network condition (INBC) in the frequency domain. The INBC includes frequency-dependent self and mutual impedances which are approximated by series of partial fractions in terms of real or complex conjugate pole-residue pairs. A discrete time-domain INBC at the shield is generated, which is then incorporated within the FDTD method. The primary advantages of the proposed approach are: 1) the convolution equations are not used in the formulation, 2) the approximation applied for discretizing the Maxwell equation has second-order accuracy in time and first-order of accuracy in space, and 3) the stability of the method is governed by the classical Courant Friedrichs Lewy stability condition. Numerical examples are presented to validate the new method and to demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy.