Application of equivalent medium parameters in finite element models of microwave metamaterials

Abstract

Simulated or experimentally measured reflection and transmission are used to obtain effective permittivity (ε), permeability (μ), and conductivity (σ) for a planar microwave metamaterial. These parameters are then used in a finite element model of macro-scale metamaterial objects, where the metamaterial is taken to be a homogeneous layer with frequency-dependent ε, μ, and σ. We demonstrate good agreement between reflection and absorption of metamaterial structure and those obtained from modeling homogenized, macro-scale metamaterials. We further demonstrate use of the method for geometrically scaled, oddly shaped macroscopic objects. This method significantly reduces computation requirements and enables modeling of metamaterial-made, large area objects without modeling their actual intricate metamaterial structure.