Rapid design optimization of antennas using variable-fidelity EM models and adjoint sensitivities

Purpose - Development of techniques for expedited design optimization of complex and numerically expensive electromagnetic (EM) simulation models of antenna structures validated both numerically and experimentally. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach - The optimization task is performed using a technique that combines gradient search with adjoint sensitivities, trust region framework, as well as EM simulation models with various levels of fidelity (coarse, medium and fine). Adaptive procedure for switching between the models of increasing accuracy in the course of the optimization process is implemented. Numerical and experimental case studies are provided to validate correctness of the design approach. Findings - Appropriate combination of suitable design optimization algorithm embedded in a trust region framework, as well as model selection techniques, allows for considerable reduction of the antenna optimization cost compared to conventional methods. Research limitations/implications - The study demonstrates feasibility of EM-simulation-driven design optimization of antennas at low computational cost. The presented techniques reach beyond the common design approaches based on direct optimization of EM models using conventional gradient-based or derivative-free methods, particularly in terms of reliability and reduction of the computational costs of the design processes. Originality/value - Simulation-driven design optimization of contemporary antenna structures is very challenging when high-fidelity EM simulations are utilized for performance utilization of structure at hand. The proposed variable-fidelity optimization technique with adjoint sensitivity and trust regions permits rapid optimization of numerically demanding antenna designs (here, dielectric resonator antenna and compact monopole), which cannot be achieved when conventional methods are of use. The design cost of proposed strategy is up to 60 percent lower than direct optimization exploiting adjoint sensitivities. Experimental validation of the results is also provided.