The new Far-Field Domain, Inhomogeneous feature and its Far-Field Calculation subnode calculate far-field radiation patterns from structures having a substrate with one set of homogeneous material properties and a superstrate with another set of homogeneous material properties. The Substrate and Superstrate features are defined as subnodes to the Far-Field Domain, Inhomogeneous feature.

The new feature is available in 3D in the Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain interface. When defined in the physics, it adds a default 2D Radiation Pattern plot.

The feature is demonstrated in the Scatterer on Substrate model.

In the Port feature, it is now possible to multiply the S-parameter with a user-defined phase shift. The phase shift is calculated from the Port propagation constant and the user-defined offset distance.

The Port and Scattering Boundary Condition features define variables for the input power. In addition, on Port and Scattering Boundary Condition boundaries and on boundaries toward perfectly matched layers (PMLs), variables for the outgoing waves are defined. For example, there are variables for output power integrated over the feature boundary and the outcoupling efficiency. That is, the ratio between the output power and the input power.

There are also new variables for calculating the integrated power loss in domains and at boundaries. The variables are defined by the wave equation domain features and by boundary features like the Transition and Impedance boundary conditions. Also, these variables are hierarchically defined, so it is easy to both find the power loss per feature and the power loss for the whole physics interface. When the input power is defined, there are also similar variables for the absorptance, defined by the ratio of the power loss and the input power.

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, as 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.

The Port feature now defines variables like ewfd.Emodex_1 = ewfd.tEmodex_1 + ewfd.Enmode*ewfd.nx, where ewfd is the physics tag, and ewfd.Emodex_1, ewfd.tEmodex_1, and ewfd.nx are the x-components of the total electric mode field, the tangential component of the electric mode field, and the port boundary normal, respectively. ewfd.Enmode is the normal component of the electric mode field. Similar variables are also defined for the magnetic port mode field.

In version 6.3 and earlier, the total Port mode field, after performing a Boundary Mode Analysis study, was defined as

where ET and En are the solved for tangential and normal mode field components, respectively, and n is the port boundary normal, pointing out from the physics.

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.

The Polarization plot now has an option to normalize the polarization ellipse size to each diffraction order (Normalization is set to With respect to current order) or to the largest diffraction efficiency (Normalization is set to With respect to all orders). The first option gives the behavior in version 6.3 and earlier, when all polarization ellipses were of the same size. With the second option, the sizes of the polarization ellipses scale with the diffraction efficiency.

When a Cross Section Calculation node is part of the model, it automatically generates default plots or evaluation groups, including the cross sections.

By default, in version 6.3 and earlier, when performing a study where there was no parametric sweep, Global Evaluation nodes were added for instance for evaluation of reflectance, transmittance, and absorptance. Now, instead those Global Evaluation nodes are added to Evaluation Group nodes. That 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).