Publications

Fundamental bounds on the performance of monochromatic scattering-cancellation and field-zeroing cloaks made of prescribed linear passive materials occupying a predefined design region are formulated by projecting field quantities onto a sub-sectional basis and applying quadratically constrained quadratic programming. Formulations are numerically tested revealing key physical trends as well as advantages and disadvantages between the two classes of cloaks. Results show that the use of low-loss materials with high dielectric contrast affords the highest potential for effective cloaking.

A problem of the erroneous duality gap caused by the presence of symmetries is solved in this paper utilizing point group theory. The optimization problems are first divided into two classes based on their predisposition to suffer from this deficiency. Then, the classical problem of Q-factor minimization is shown in an example where the erroneous duality gap is eliminated by combining solutions from orthogonal sub-spaces. Validity of this treatment is demonstrated in a series of subsequent examples of increasing complexity spanning the wide variety of optimization problems, namely minimum Q-factor, maximum antenna gain, minimum total active reflection coefficient, or maximum radiation efficiency with self-resonant constraint. They involve problems with algebraic and geometric multiplicities of the eigenmodes, and are completed by an example introducing the selective modification of modal currents falling into one of the symmetry-conformal sub-spaces. The entire treatment is accompanied with a discussion of finite numerical precision, and mesh grid imperfections and their influence on the results. Finally, the robust and unified algorithm is proposed and discussed, including advanced topics such as the uniqueness of the optimal solutions, dependence on the number of constraints, or an interpretation of the qualitative difference between the two classes of the optimization problems.

Trade-offs between absorption and scattering cross sections of lossy obstacles confined to an arbitrarily shaped volume are formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem solvable by Lagrangian-dual methods. Solutions to this optimization problem yield a Pareto-optimal set, the shape of which reveals the feasibility of achieving simultaneously extremal absorption and scattering. Two forms of the trade-off problems are considered involving both pre-assigned loss and reactive material parameters. Numerical comparisons between the derived multi-objective bounds and several classes of realized structures are made. Additionally, low-frequency (electrically small, long wavelength) limits are examined for certain special cases.

A numerically effective description of the total active reflection coefficient and realized gain are studied for multi-port antennas. Material losses are fully considered. The description is based on operators represented in an entire-domain port-mode basis, i.e., on matrices with favorably small dimensions. Optimal performance is investigated and conditions on optimal excitation and matching are derived. The solution to the combinatorial problem of optimal ports’ placement and optimal feeding synthesis is also accomplished. Four examples of various complexity are numerically studied, demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method. The final formulas can easily be implemented in existing electromagnetic simulators using integral equation solver.

A general framework for determining fundamental bounds in nanophotonics is introduced in this paper. The theory is based on convex optimization of dual problems constructed from operators generated by electromagnetic integral equations. The optimized variable is a contrast current defined within a prescribed region of a given material constitutive relations. Two power conservation constraints analogous to the optical theorem are utilized to tighten the bounds and to prescribe either losses or material properties. Thanks to the utilization of matrix rank-1 updates, modal decompositions, and model order reduction techniques, the optimization procedure is computationally efficient even for complicated scenarios. No dual gaps are observed. The method is well-suited to accommodate material anisotropy and inhomogeneity. To demonstrate the validity of the method, bounds on scattering, absorption, and extinction cross sections are derived first and evaluated for several canonical regions. The tightness of the bounds is verified by comparison to optimized spherical nanoparticles and shells. The next metric investigated is bi-directional scattering studied closely on a particular example of an electrically thin slab. Finally, the bounds are established for Purcell's factor and local field enhancement where a dimer is used as a practical example.

Fundamental bounds on antenna gain are found via convex optimization of the current density in a prescribed region. Various constraints are considered, including self-resonance and only partial control of the current distribution. Derived formulas are valid for arbitrarily shaped radiators of a given conductivity. All the optimization tasks are reduced to eigenvalue problems, which are solved efficiently. The second part of the paper deals with superdirectivity and its associated minimal costs in efficiency and Q-factor. The paper is accompanied with a series of examples practically demonstrating the relevance of the theoretical framework and entirely spanning a wide range of material parameters and electrical sizes used in antenna technology. Presented results are analyzed from a perspective of effectively radiating modes. In contrast to a common approach utilizing spherical modes, the radiating modes of a given body are directly evaluated and analyzed here. All crucial mathematical steps are reviewed in the appendices, including a series of important subroutines to be considered making it possible to reduce the computational burden associated with the evaluation of electrically large structures and structures of high conductivity.

The trade-off between radiation efficiency and antenna bandwidth, expressed in terms of Q-factor, for small antennas is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem in current distributions of predefined support. Variants on the problem are constructed to demonstrate the consequences of requiring a self-resonant current as opposed to one tuned by an external reactance. The trade-offs are evaluated for sample problems and the resulting Pareto-optimal sets reveal the relative cost of valuing low radiation Q-factor over high efficiency, the cost in efficiency to require a self-resonant current, the effects of lossy parasitic loading, and other insights. Observations are drawn from the sample problems selected, though the tradeoff evaluation method is valid for studying arbitrary antenna geometries. In the examples considered here, we observe that small increases in Q-factor away from its lower bound allow for dramatic increases in efficiency toward its upper bound.

Existing optimization methods are used to calculate the upper-bounds on radiation efficiency with and without the constraint on self-resonance. These bounds are used for the design and assessment of small electric-dipole-type antennas. We demonstrate that the assumption of lossless, lumped, external tuning skews the true nature of radiation efficiency bounds when practical material characteristics are used in the tuning network. A major result is that, when realistic (e.g., finite conductivity) materials are used, small antenna systems exhibit dissipation factors which scale as (ka)–4, rather than (ka)–2 as previously predicted under the assumption of lossless external tuning.

Radiation efficiencies of modal current densities distributed on a spherical shell are evaluated in terms of dissipation factor. The presented approach is rigorous, yet simple and straightforward, leading to closed-form expressions. The same approach is utilized for a two-layered shell and the results are compared with other models existing in the literature. Discrepancies in this comparison are reported and reasons are analyzed. Finally, it is demonstrated that radiation efficiency potentially benefits from the use of internal volume which contrasts with the case of the radiation Q-factor.

An optimization problem has been formulated to find a resonant current extremizing various antenna parameters. The method is presented on, but not limited to, particular cases of gain G, quality factor Q, gain to quality factor ratio G/Q, and radiation efficiency $\eta$ of canonical shapes with conduction losses explicitly included. The Rao-Wilton-Glisson basis representation is used to simplify the underlying algebra while still allowing surface current regions of arbitrary shape to be treated. By switching to another basis generated by a specific eigenvalue problem, it is finally shown that the optimal current can, in principle, be found as a combination of a few eigenmodes. The presented method constitutes a general framework in which the antenna parameters, expressed as bilinear forms, can automatically be extremized.