Rapid electromagnetic-based microwave design optimisation exploiting shape-preserving response prediction and adjoint sensitivities

A new development of the shape-preserving response prediction (SPRP) technique for microwave design optimisation is presented here. The original SPRP method is enhanced by employing low-cost derivative information obtained through adjoint sensitivities. The authors propose using operator notation to simplify the SPRP surrogate description. The enhancement through sensitivity data is twofold: to ensure first-order consistency between the SPRP surrogate and the high-fidelity electromagnetic (EM) model under optimisation and to speed up the surrogate optimisation process. Fast surrogate optimisation allows us to use coarse-discretisation EM simulations as an underlying low-fidelity model and, therefore, efficiently apply SPRP to cases where reliable circuit models are not available (e.g. design of antenna structures). The proposed approach is demonstrated using a dielectric resonator filter and an ultra-wideband monopole antenna. Comparison with three benchmark techniques, including the original SPRP methods, space mapping with sensitivity and direct optimisation of the high-fidelity model, is also provided.