A memory-efficient formulation of the finite-difference time-domain methodfor the solution of Maxwell equations

With the increase in speed and memory storage in modern computer systems, t he finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the solution of electrom agnetic problems is rapidly becoming an attractive choice due to its progra mming simplicity and flexibility in the analysis of a wide range of structu res. However, this technique has the drawback of high computer memory requi rements and computational power, when analyzing large geometries, In this p aper, a modified version of the FDTD method with increased memory efficienc y is presented and applied to the calculation of the resonant frequencies o f a dielectric resonator coupled to a microstrip line. In this novel approa ch, the divergence relationship, which spatially links the three electric-f ield and three magnetic-field components, is used to eliminate one componen t each of E and H, This leads to a more memory-efficient formulation, where only four field components are stored in the whole domain, with a direct m emory reduction of 33% in the storage of the fields.