Incident Field Parameters

Once the Incident Field option is selected in the Excitation panel, you must define the characteristics of the incoming plane wave. These parameters determine the wave’s strength, orientation, and polarization.

1. Electric Field & Polarization

• E-Field Major Axis: The amplitude of the incident electric field in V/m (Volts RMS per meter). For linear polarization, this is the field strength. For elliptical polarization, it represents the length of the major axis of the ellipse.
• Axial Ratio: Defines the “roundness” of the polarization.
  • 0: Linearly polarized.
  • Positive value: Right-handed elliptical polarization.
  • Negative value: Left-handed elliptical polarization.
• Gamma ($\gamma$): The polarization angle in degrees. For linear waves, this is the angle between the plane of incidence and the E-field vector. For elliptical waves, it marks the angle to the major axis (Fig. 1).

2. Direction of Arrival

The direction from which the plane wave originates is defined using spherical coordinates:

• Theta ($\theta$): The zenith angle of the incident direction.
• Phi ($\phi$): The azimuth angle of the incident direction.

3. Phase Control

• Phase Reference: The phase of the wave (in degrees) at the coordinate origin $(0,0,0)$. Changing this value simply shifts the phase of all induced currents and scattered fields across the entire structure by the specified amount.

Note

If the incident plane wave option is active, the simulation treats the structure as a passive scatterer. Any defined voltage or current sources are excluded from the calculation.