Q factor enhancement of open 2D resonators by optimal placement of a thin metallic rod in front of the longitudinal slot

A rigorous approach was employed for the accurate evaluation of the electromagnetic interaction between a thin metallic rod and a two-dimensional (2D) slotted cavity. The problem was posed as a classical boundary value problem for the Helmholtz equation in which a 2D slotted open cavity is bounded by an arbitrary but otherwise smooth contour with a longitudinal slit. Using the method of analytical regularization, the problem was transformed to well-conditioned coupled infinite systems of linear algebraic equations for the Fourier coefficients in the expansions of induced surface currents on the rod and slotted cavity. When truncated to finite size, their solutions exhibit fast convergence to the exact solution as the order is increased. This feature makes it possible to investigate the spectral and scattering characteristics of the coupled cavity and rod to within any desired accuracy. In this paper, the complex eigenvalues for a slotted cavity in the presence of a thin rod and the dependence upon their relative location were investigated, particularly to find where there is significant or optimal enhancement of the (Formula presented.) factor. Such optimisation may be exploited in the design of advanced slot antennas and slotted waveguides.