Generalized FDTD scheme for the simulation of electromagnetic scattering in moving structures

Electromagnetic scattering in moving structures is a fundamental topic in physics and engineering. Yet no general numerical solution to related problems has been reported to date. We introduce here a generalized FDTD scheme to remedy this deficiency. That scheme is an extension of the FDTD standard Yee cell and stencil that includes not only the usual, physical fields but also auxiliary, unphysical fields allowing a straightforward application of moving boundary conditions. The proposed scheme is illustrated by four examples – a moving interface, a moving slab, a moving crystal and a moving gradient – with systematic validation against exact solutions.