This new interface transitions from a complex multiphysics setup with two interfaces to a simpler, user-friendly configuration with minimal boundary conditions. It provides series resistance, series inductance, shunt conductance, and shunt capacitance per unit length, as well as characteristic impedance and propagation constant for two-conductor transmission lines. The computation is performed using frequency-domain modeling in 2D. This interface is introduced with the library example transmission_line_coaxial.

Multiconductor transmission lines are now supported in the Transmission Line interface through multiple dependent variables. The distributed element parameters are defined as square matrices, with sizes corresponding to the number of dependent variables. The Transmission Line interface also supports series and shunt element features.

Designing metamaterials is now more streamlined with the Periodic Structure feature, which provides the default Periodic Port and Floquet Periodic Condition features. It is available in the Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain interface. Several library examples demonstrate how to use this feature, including fresnel_equations and frequency_selective_surface_csrr.

Lossy or conductive boundaries can be modeled in time-domain analysis. For electrically thin interior boundaries, use the Transition Boundary Condition, while for exterior boundaries or for surfaces of domains where thickness is electrically large (much greater than the skin depth) use the Impedance Boundary Condition. The example dual_band_antenna_transient demonstrates how to use the Transition Boundary Condition.

Far-field radiation in the presence of a substrate can be analyzed with this new feature. It currently supports far-field computation for structures consisting of a superstrate (air) and a homogeneous substrate (dielectric). See the embedded_scatterer_on_substrate example.

Far-field functions are available for optimization, as demonstrated in a new library example that performs shape optimization to enhance the antenna gain. They are accessible from Component > Definitions > Functions in the Results context menu. The example conical_horn_lens_antenna_shape_optimization uses one of these far-field functions. New variables for circular polarization named EfarLHCP and EfarRHCP are also introduced for left-handed and right-handed circular polarization, respectively.

The toolbar buttons enable faster and easier modeling by analyzing the given materials and geometry and by configuring appropriate physics features and settings. The Convert to a Half-Symmetry Model button is available in the Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain and Electromagnetic Waves, Boundary Elements interfaces. It creates a half-geometry and assigns a PEC- or PMC-type Symmetry Plane feature (Frequency Domain interface) or sets symmetry properties (Boundary Elements interface), depending on the user’s selection among six available options. These buttons operate only in 3D. The examples rcs_sphere and rcs_sphere_bem demonstrate this functionality.

In the Transition Boundary Condition, there is a new option in the Type parameter called Electrically very thin layer. This option represents the case of a very thin layer, where the electric field on the two sides of the boundary are almost the same. Thus, no slit of the dependent variable is used at the boundary.

When Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) nodes are part of the model, the default field plots define a plot group selection that only includes the non-PML domains. Thereby, only the fields in the non-PML domains are visible in the plots.

When Symmetry Plane features are added, the default field plots replace slice plots parallel to the Symmetry Plane boundaries with Surface plots of the field at the Symmetry Plane boundaries.

By default, in version 6.3 and earlier, when performing a study where there was no parametric sweep, Global Evaluation nodes were added for evaluation of S-parameters. Now, those Global Evaluation nodes are instead added to Evaluation Group nodes. This means that the evaluated expression values can be automatically updated after a study has been completed.

A variable for the power radiated by the dipole has been added to the Electric Point Dipole feature in 2D (previously only available in 3D).

With coplanar waveguide (CPW) trace parts, it is easier to build CPW geometries for modeling quantum computing devices. The example cpw_resonator uses these CPW trace parts.