FDTD Solutions

FDTD User Guide

Release 5.1
2 FDTD User Guide

Data interpolation options

Objective
This topic explains the various spatial interpolation options that may be applied to data collected from a
simulation.

Note:
There is enough detailed information that we appreciate it if you do not share this information with
people who are not customers of Lumerical.

Why is spatial interpolation required?

In FDTD simulations, each field component is calculated at a different point within the Yee unit cell.
The Yee cell and locations of each field component are shown below.

Without any spatial interpolation, analyzing simulation results becomes very difficult. Even a trivial
calculation such as |E| is challenging because each field component is known at a different position in
space.

To simplify the simulation analysis, monitors have several spatial interpolation options. This setting
can be accessed in the advanced tab of the monitor properties. There are three options: Specified
position, Nearest mesh cell, None. Each option is explained below.

© 2003 - 2008 Lumerical Solutions, Inc

 Data interpolation options 3

The following figures show the different interpolation methods. In each figure,
· Six 2D yee cells are drawn. The black outlines are equivalent to the orange mesh lines drawn in
FDTD Solutions when the View mesh button is selected.
· H field components are not shown to simplify the figures.
· A monitor is shown in Yellow.
· Each E field component is color coded (Blue for Ex).
· The thin E field arrows show the positions where the fields were calculated by the simulation.
· The bold E field arrows show the positions where the fields were recorded by the monitors.
· The thin black arrow shows the position that will be saved in the monitor position vectors

Specified Position
Field data is returned exactly
where the monitor is positioned.
This involves interpolating field
data from a number of
neighboring Yee cells.

© 2003 - 2008 Lumerical Solutions, Inc

4 FDTD User Guide

Nearest mesh cell

The monitor basically ‘snaps’ to
the nearest mesh cell. All data
is returned at the origin of the
Yee cells. This still involves
some interpolation, but not as
much as the Specified position
option. This option tends to
give more accurate power
measurements.

None
Similar to the Nearest mesh
cell option, the monitor 'snaps'
to the nearest mesh cell. It
then returns the field values
from each Yee cell without any
interpolation.

It is important to notice that the

position vector (thin black
arrows) specifies the position of
the origin of the Yee cell, not
the position of the individual
field components. The user
must take this factor into
account in their analysis.

Note: The difference between Profile and Power monitors

The only difference between profile and power monitors is the type of spatial interpolation used.
Profile monitors use “Specified position”. Power monitors use “nearest mesh cell”. One type can be
converted to the other type by changing the spatial interpolation setting.

Note: Available interpolation options

Some monitors do not support all interpolation options

Note: Index monitors

The above discussion focused on electric field components and Power/Profile monitors. Index
monitors are very similar. Material properties are independently calculated for each field component
location within the Yee cell. If a material interface passes through the a Yee cell, it is possible that
some field components of the Yee cell will be located in one material, while other components will be
in a different material.
Therefore, the same types of interpolation issues exist with index monitors as with Power/Profile
monitors.

© 2003 - 2008 Lumerical Solutions, Inc