Optimal Plane-Wave Representation of Random Fields in a Reverberation Chamber

The random electromagnetic field within a reverberation chamber is modeled using a superposition of plane waves. Based on rigorous sampling theory, the ideal continuous plane-wave spectrum within the chamber is sampled over the sphere to yield nearly ideal field statistics (including spatial autocorrelation) over a specified test volume such as that occupied by an equipment under test (EUT). The same spectral sampling (as defined by the individual plane-wave directions) is used for each trial, with randomness added to the specific fields associated with the individual plane-wave samples in the different trials. Since the sampling is fixed, the response of the EUT to only a single plane wave at each sample point must be found numerically. The response of the EUT to specific realizations of random fields within the chamber is found through a linear superposition of the individual plane-wave responses weighted by appropriate random coefficients. This minimizes the number of times the field on the EUT must be solved using a numerical electromagnetics technique, giving an efficient method to numerically simulate susceptibility tests within reverberation chambers.