High-order DGTD methods for dispersive Maxwellʹs equations and modelling of silver nanowire coupling

A high-order discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) method for Maxwell’s equations for dispersive media of Drude type is derived and then used to study the coupling of 2D silver nanowires, which have potential applications in optical circuits without the restriction of diffraction limits of traditional dielectric waveguides. We have demonstrated the high accuracy of the DGTD for the electromagnetic wave scattering in dispersive media and its flexibility in modelling the plasmon resonant phenomena of coupled silver nanowires. Specifically, we study the cross sections of coupled nanowires, the dependence of the resonance on the number of nanowires with more resolved resonance information than the traditional FDTD Yee scheme, time-domain behaviour of waves impinging on coupled silver nanowires of a funnel configuration, and the energy loss of resonant modes in a linear chain of circular and ellipse nanowires. Copyright q 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd