🚧 Project Status: Under Active Development
The current core numerical architecture and solver formulations in this repository are based on Understanding the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method by John B. Schneider.

A high-performance computational electromagnetics framework developed in C.

2D Resonator Mode Point source pulse injected in grid center with surrounding PEC boundaries acting as a resonant cavity.

2D TFSF Plane Wave Scattering Incident $E_z$ wave injected via TFSF boundary, scattering off a central PEC plate target.

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Electromagnetic FDTD Simulation Engine

Simulation Modules & Visualizations

Electromagnetic Physics & Field Vectors

This module solves Maxwell's curl equations for Transverse Magnetic ($\text{TM}_z$) polarization in a 2D Yee grid space.

1. Active Field Components

In $\text{TM}_z$ mode, the field vector components are defined as:

• Electric Field: $\vec{E} = (0,, 0,, E_z)$ (Oriented perpendicular to the grid plane)
• Magnetic Field: $\vec{H} = (H_x,, H_y,, 0)$ (Oriented within the grid plane)

2. Incident Wave Propagation

In the TFSF module, the 1D auxiliary grid injects a uniform plane wave traveling from Left to Right along the positive X-axis ($+\hat{x}$):

• Propagation Vector ($\vec{k}$): $+\hat{x}$
• Electric Field ($E_z$): $+\hat{z}$ (Rendered in Red for $+E_z$ and Blue for $-E_z$)
• Magnetic Field ($H_y$): $+\hat{y}$ (Points vertically UP along $+Y$)
• Poynting Vector ($\vec{S}$): Dictates directional energy flux: $$\vec{S} = \vec{E} \times \vec{H} = (E_z \hat{z}) \times (H_y \hat{y}) = -E_z H_y \hat{x}$$

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System Architecture & Features

• C Simulation Engine: Solves Maxwell's update equations using staggered leapfrog time stepping.
• TFSF Virtual Boundary: Separates the solution domain into a Total Field region (incident + scattered fields) and a Scattered Field region (scattered fields only).
• PEC Boundary Conditions: Enforces conductive interface constraints by clamping tangential electric fields ($E_z = 0$).
• Direct Binary Serialization: Streams raw grid snapshots directly to disk (sim.0, sim.1, ...) for lightweight computational overhead.
• Automated Python Pipeline: Reads row-major binary streams, aligns spatial axes, applies visual boundary overlays, and auto-exports animated graphics inside images/ directories.

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Directory Structure

├── 2d_fdtd/                 # Point source pulse inside PEC boundary cavity
│   ├── images/
│   │   └── fdtd_simulation.gif
│   ├── include/
│   ├── src/
│   └── plot_data.py
├── 2d_fdtd_with_tfsf/       # TFSF plane wave scattering off PEC plate target
│   ├── images/
│   │   └── fdtd_simulation.gif
│   ├── include/
│   ├── src/
│   └── plot_data.py
├── 3d_fdtd/                 # 3D grid simulation
│   ├── include/
│   ├── src/
│   └── plot_cross_section_data.py
├── .gitignore
└── README.md

References

Understanding the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, John B. Schneider, www.eecs.wsu.edu/~schneidj/ufdtd, 2010