Welcome to FDTD101

This course is an introduction to the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) Method for Electromagnetics. We will walk you through the basics of setting up and running electromagnetic simulations using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Through this course, you will gain a knowledge of the fundamental concepts behind electromagnetic simulation as well as many advanced topics worth considering when you set up your simulations.

The course will use Flexcompute's Tidy3D solver for its examples and the scripts used in the slides are publicly accessible from this website. A basic knowledge of electromagnetics and programming is recommended to get the most use out of this course.

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Lecture 1: Introduction to FDTD Simulation
Lecture 1: Introduction to FDTD Simulation

In this lecture, we will describe the basic concepts of EM simulation using FDTD.

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Lecture 2: Using FDTD to Compute a Transmission Spectrum
Lecture 2: Using FDTD to Compute a Transmission Spectrum

In this lecture, we show how to use FDTD to solve a basic EM problem involving the transmission of light though a slab of material.

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Lecture 3: Applying FDTD to Photonic Crystal Slab Simulation
Lecture 3: Applying FDTD to Photonic Crystal Slab Simulation

In this lecture, we show how to apply FDTD to solve a slightly more complicated EM problem involving a photonic crystal slab that supports guided resonance.

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Lecture 4: Prelude to Integrated Photonics Simulation: Mode Injection
Lecture 4: Prelude to Integrated Photonics Simulation: Mode Injection

In this lecture, we show how to perfectly inject a specific mode into a straight waveguide. This is helpful in decreasing computational cost, and having a clean simulation without unwanted electromagnetic interference in the computational domain.

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Lecture 5: Modeling dispersive material in FDTD
Lecture 5: Modeling dispersive material in FDTD

Material dispersion is a very common phenomenon in which the material responds differently to light of different color. In this lecture, we show how to include material dispersion in FDTD simulations.

Start
Lecture 1: Introduction to FDTD Simulation
Lecture 1: Introduction to FDTD Simulation

In this lecture, we will describe the basic concepts of EM simulation using FDTD.

Start
Lecture 2: Using FDTD to Compute a Transmission Spectrum
Lecture 2: Using FDTD to Compute a Transmission Spectrum

In this lecture, we show how to use FDTD to solve a basic EM problem involving the transmission of light though a slab of material.

Start
Lecture 3: Applying FDTD to Photonic Crystal Slab Simulation
Lecture 3: Applying FDTD to Photonic Crystal Slab Simulation

In this lecture, we show how to apply FDTD to solve a slightly more complicated EM problem involving a photonic crystal slab that supports guided resonance.

Start
Lecture 4: Prelude to Integrated Photonics Simulation: Mode Injection
Lecture 4: Prelude to Integrated Photonics Simulation: Mode Injection

In this lecture, we show how to perfectly inject a specific mode into a straight waveguide. This is helpful in decreasing computational cost, and having a clean simulation without unwanted electromagnetic interference in the computational domain.

Start
Lecture 5: Modeling dispersive material in FDTD
Lecture 5: Modeling dispersive material in FDTD

Material dispersion is a very common phenomenon in which the material responds differently to light of different color. In this lecture, we show how to include material dispersion in FDTD simulations.

Start