This book provides a brief overview of the popular Finite Element Method (FEM) and its hybrid versions for electromagnetics with applications to radar scattering, antennas and arrays, guided structures, microwave components, frequency selective surfaces, periodic media, and RF materials characterizations and related topics. It starts by presenting concepts based on Hilbert and Sobolev spaces as well as Curl and Divergence spaces for generating matrices, useful in all engineering simulation methods. It then proceeds to present applications of the finite element and finite element-boundary integral methods for scattering and radiation. Applications to periodic media, metamaterials and bandgap structures are also included. The hybrid volume integral equation method for high contrast dielectrics and is presented for the first time. Another unique feature of the book is the inclusion of design optimization techniques and their integration within commercial numerical analysis packages for shape and material design. To aid the reader with the method's utility, an entire chapter is devoted to two-dimensional problems. The book can be considered as an update on the latest developments since the publication of our earlier book (Finite Element Method for Electromagnetics, IEEE Press, 1998). The latter is certainly complementary companion to this one.

Future commercial and military communication systems require a new class of antennas and radio frequency (RF) front-ends that are small, light-weight, conformal, and multi-functional. This dissertation is dedicated to the development and application of the novel polymer-ceramic composites for future compact multilayer antennas and RF systems. The first half of the dissertation deals with the fabrication and characterization of the polymer-ceramic composites. Also, carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets are introduced for the first time to overcome the issues of reliable printing on polymers. The second half of the dissertation focuses on the application of the polymer-ceramic composites with carbon nanotube sheet printing. Two practical application examples are elaborated, namely (1) a compact anti-jamming GPS array and (2) a cylindrically conformal microstrip array. Both applications demonstrate the potentials of the polymer-ceramic composites for three-dimensional fabrication and multilayer packaging.