P-adaptive computation of the scattering parameters of 3-D microwave devices

A new error indicator is proposed to guide the p-adaptive finite-element analysis of three-dimensional microwave devices. The indicator makes use of the properties of the hierarchal elements to target directly the error in the scattering parameters of the device. The indicator is used to guide the p-adaptive analysis of three rectangular waveguide components: a U-bend, a waveguide transformer, and a multiaperture-coupled iris filter. It is shown that the new indicator is able to provide more accurate values at a lower computational cost than a previous indicator.