Objective: An imaging device to locate functionalised nanoparticles, whereby therapeutic agents are transported from the site of administration specifically to diseased tissues, remains a challenge for pharmaceutical research. Here, we show a new method based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to provide images of the location of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and the excitation of GNPs with radio frequencies (RF) to change impedance permitting an estimation of their location in cell models Methods: We have created an imaging system using quantum cluster GNPs as contrast agent, activated with RF fields to heat the functionalized GNPs, which causes a change in impedance in the surrounding region. This change is then identified with EIT. Results: Images of impedance changes of around 80 ± 4% are obtained for a sample of citrate stabilized GNPs in a solution of phosphate-buffered saline. A second quantification was carried out using colorectal cancer cells incubated with culture media, and the internalization of GNPs into the colorectal cancer cells was undertaken to compare them with the EIT images. When the cells were incubated with functionalised GNPs, the change was more apparent, approximately 40 ± 2%. This change was reflected in the EIT image as the cell area was more clearly identifiable from the rest of the area. Significance: EIT can be used as a new method to locate functionalized GNPs in human cells and help in the development of GNP-based drugs in humans to improve their efficacy in the future.

In this paper, wave propagation in a hollow waveguide with a graded dielectric layer is studied. Analytic formulas are derived for the electric field components as well as general analytical results for the reflection and transmission coefficients for propagating waves. These results are all valid for waveguides of arbitrary cross sections, and the derived reflection and transmission coefficients are in exact asymptotic agreement with those obtained for a wry thin homogeneous dielectric layer using cascading and mode-matching techniques. Furthermore, the power transmission, reflection, and absorption coefficients, as functions of frequency and layer width, are studied, showing the expected behavior of these parameters. The method proposed in this paper gives directly applicable results that do not require cascading and mode matching, while at the same time having the ability to model smooth transitions that are more realistic in several applications.

Efficient design of high-voltage power cables is important to achieve an economical delivery of electric power from wind farms and power plants over the very long distances as well as the overseas electric power. The main focus of this thesis is the investigation of electromagnetic losses in components of high-voltage power cables. The objective of the ongoing research is to develop the theory and optimization techniques as tools to make material choices and geometry designs to minimize the high-frequency attenuation and dispersion for HVDC power cables and the power losses associated with HVAC cables. Physical limitations, dispersion relationships and the application of sum rules as well as convex optimization will be investigated to obtain adequate physical insight and a priori modeling information for these problems.

For HVAC power cables, the objectives are addressed by performing measurements and estimation of complex valued permeability of cable armour steel in Papers I and II. Efficient analytical solutions for the electromagnetic field generated by helical structures with applications for HVAC power cables have been obtained in Paper III.

For HVDC power cables, estimation of insulation characteristics from dielectric spectroscopy data using Herglotz functions, convex optimization and B-splines, has been investigated in Papers V and VI. The unique solution requirements in waveguide problems have been reviewed in Paper IV.

Physical bounds in electromagnetic field theory have been of interest for more than a decade. Considering electromagnetic structures from the system theory perspective, as systems satisfying linearity, time-invariance, causality and passivity, it is possible to characterize their transfer functions via Herglotz functions. Herglotz functions are useful in modeling of passive systems with applications in mathematical physics, engineering, and modeling of wave phenomena in materials and scattering. Physical bounds on passive systems can be derived in the form of sum rules, which are based on low- and high-frequency asymptotics of the corresponding Herglotz functions. These bounds provide an insight into factors limiting the performance of a given system, as well as the knowledge about possibilities to improve a desired system from a design point of view. However, the asymptotics of the Herglotz functions do not always exist for a given system, and thus a new method for determination of physical bounds is required. In Papers I–II of this thesis, a rigorous mathematical framework for a convex optimization approach based on general weighted L^p-norms, 1≤p≤∞, is introduced. The developed framework is used to approximate a desired system response, and to determine an optimal performance in realization of a system satisfying the target requirement. The approximation is carried out using Herglotz functions, B-splines, and convex optimization. 

Papers III–IV of this thesis concern modeling and determination of optimal performance bounds for causal, but not passive systems. To model them, a new class of functions, the quasi-Herglotz functions, is introduced. The new functions are defined as differences of two Herglotz functions and preserve the majority of the properties of Herglotz functions useful for the mathematical framework based on convex optimization. We consider modeling of gain media with desired properties as a causal system, which can be active over certain frequencies or  frequency intervals.  Here, sum rules can also be used under certain assumptions.

In Papers V–VII of this thesis, the optical theorem for scatterers immersed in lossy media is revisited. Two versions of the optical theorem are derived: one based on internal equivalent currents and the other based on external fields in terms of a T-matrix formalism, respectively. The theorems are exploited to derive fundamental bounds on absorption by using elementary optimization techniques. The theory has a potential impact in applications where the surrounding losses cannot be neglected, e.g., in medicine, plasmonic photothermal therapy, radio frequency absorption of gold nanoparticle suspensions, etc.  In addition to this, a new method for detection of electrophoretic resonances in a material with Drude-type of dispersion, which is placed in a straight waveguide, is proposed.

An optimal plasmonic resonance and the associated Fröhlich resonance frequency are derived for a thin layer in a straight waveguide in TM mode. The layer consists of an arbitrary composite material with a Drude type of dispersion. The reflection and transmission coefficients of the layer are analyzed in detail. To gain insight into the behavior of a thin plasmonic layer, an asymptotic expansion to the first order is derived with respect to the layer permittivity.

A passive approximation problem is formulated where the target function is an arbitrary complex-valued continuous function defined on an approximation domain consisting of a finite union of closed and bounded intervals on the real axis. The norm used is a weighted L-p-norm where 1 <= p <= infinity. The approximating functions are Herglotz functions generated by a measure with Holder continuous density in an arbitrary neighborhood of the approximation domain. Hence, the imaginary and the real parts of the approximating functions are Holder continuous functions given by the density of the measure and its Hilbert transform, respectively. In practice, it is useful to employ finite B-spline expansions to represent the generating measure. The corresponding approximation problem can then be posed as a finite-dimensional convex optimization problem which is amenable for numerical solution. A constructive proof is given here showing that the convex cone of approximating functions generated by finite uniform B-spline expansions of fixed arbitrary order (linear, quadratic, cubic, etc.) is dense in the convex cone of Herglotz functions which are locally Holder continuous in a neighborhood of the approximation domain, as mentioned above. As an illustration, typical physical application examples are included regarding the passive approximation and optimization of a linear system having metamaterial characteristics, as well as passive realization of optimal absorption of a dielectric small sphere over a finite bandwidth.

A passive approximation problem is formulated where the target function is an arbitrary complex valued continuous function defined on an approximation domain consisting of a closed interval of the real axis. The approximating function is any Herglotz function with a generating measure that is absolutely continuous with Hölder continuous density in an arbitrary neighborhood of the approximation domain. The norm used is induced by any of the standard L^p-norms where 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞. The problem of interest is to study the convergence properties of simple Herglotz functions where the generating measures are given by finite B-spline expansions, and where the real part of the approximating functions are obtained via the Hilbert transform. In practice, such approximations are readily obtained as the solution to a finite- dimensional convex optimization problem. A constructive convergence proof is given in the case with linear B-splines, which is valid for all L^p-norms with 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞. A number of useful analytical expressions are provided regarding general B-splines and their Hilbert transforms. A typical physical application example is given regarding the passive approximation of a linear system having metamaterial characteristics. Finally, the flexibility of the optimization approach is illustrated with an example concerning the estimation of dielectric material parameters based on given dispersion data. 

Two different versions of an optical theorem for a scattering body embedded inside a lossy background medium are derived in this paper. The corresponding fundamental upper bounds on absorption are then obtained in closed form by elementary optimization techniques. The first version is formulated in terms of polarization currents (or equivalent currents) inside the scatterer and generalizes previous results given for a lossless medium. The corresponding bound is referred to here as a variational bound and is valid for an arbitrary geometry with a given material property. The second version is formulated in terms of the T-matrix parameters of an arbitrary linear scatterer circumscribed by a spherical volume and gives a new fundamental upper bound on the total absorption of an inclusion with an arbitrary material property (including general bianisotropic materials). The two bounds are fundamentally different as they are based on different assumptions regarding the structure and the material property. Numerical examples including homogeneous and layered (core-shell) spheres are given to demonstrate that the two bounds provide complimentary information in a given scattering problem.

We introduce the set of quasi-Herglotz functions and demonstrate that it has properties useful in the modeling of non-passive systems. The linear space of quasi-Herglotz functions constitutes a natural extension of the convex cone of Herglotz functions. It consists of differences of Herglotz functions, and we show that several of the important properties and modeling perspectives of Herglotz functions are inherited by the new set of quasi-Herglotz functions. In particular, this applies to their integral representations, the associated integral identities or sum rules (with adequate additional assumptions), their boundary values on the real axis and the associated approximation theory. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the modeling of a non-passive gain media formulated as a convex optimization problem,where the generating measure is modeled by using a finite expansion of B-splines and point masses.

We introduce the set of quasi-Herglotz functions and demonstrate that it has properties useful in the modeling of non-passive systems. The linear space of quasi-Herglotz functions constitutes a natural extension of the convex cone of Herglotz functions. It consists of differences of Herglotz functions, and we show that several of the important properties and modeling perspectives of Herglotz functions are inherited by the new set of quasi-Herglotz functions. In particular, this applies to their integral representations, the associated integral identities or sum rules (with adequate additional assumptions), their boundary values on the real axis and the associated approximation theory. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the modeling of a non-passive gain media formulated as a convex optimization problem,where the generating measure is modeled by using a finite expansion of B-splines and point masses.

We introduce the set of quasi-Herglotz functions and demonstrate that it has properties useful in the modelling of non-passive systems. The linear space of quasi-Herglotz functions constitutes a natural extension of the convex cone of Herglotz functions. It consists of differences of Herglotz functions and we show that several of the important properties and modelling perspectives are inherited by the new set of quasi-Herglotz functions. In particular, this applies to their integral representations, the associated integral identities or sum rules (with adequate additional assumptions), their boundary values on the real axis and the associated approximation theory. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the modelling of a non-passive gain medium formulated as a convex optimization problem, where the generating measure is modelled by using a finite expansion of B-splines and point masses.

This paper describes the ongoing research on approximation of frequency dielectric spectroscopy measurement data. The algorithm based on passive approximation, Hilbert transform and Tikhonov regularization for non-uniformly sampled data is derived. The interpolation and extrapolation problems with application to the dielectric spectroscopy measurement data are solved using convex optimization. 

This paper presents a model based technique to estimate the complex valued permeability of cable armour steel. An efficient analytical model is derived for the linearized mutual impedance of a transformer coil built on a core of magnetic armour steel. A numerical residue calculation is used to solve the related inverse problem based on impedance data. The analytical model is validated using commercial finite element (FEM) software to establish that edge effects can be neglected. The numerical residue calculation is investigated by studying its convergence based on a simple rectangular quadrature rule in comparison to the composite Simpson's rule. When there are no measurement errors, both methods converge with an unexpected high order (superconvergence). However, in practice the estimation performance will be governed by measurement and model errors. Assuming that there are Gaussian measurement errors, the present performance of the estimation technique is quantified and investigated by means of the Cramér-Rao lower bound. In future, the proposed method will be useful as an input to general calculations of power losses in three-phase power cables.

This report is intended as a tutorial on electromagnetic modeling to measure and estimate the complex valued relative permeability of magnetic steel. The main application is with the estimation of the electromagnetic material parameters of the armour wires used with high-voltage AC power cables.

When the magnetic field intensity is sufficiently far from saturating the magnetic steel, the magnetic hysteresis phenomena can be approximated by using a linearization approach based on a complex valued (and frequency and amplitude dependent) relative permeability. In the report it is demonstrated how the complex valued permeability of magnetic steel can be efficiently estimated in the presence of a strong skin-effect. This is achieved by using a simple transformer coil built on the magnetic steel to be tested and by efficient numerical modeling based on waveguide theory and complex analysis. Numerical computations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the commercial software COMSOL are employed to establish when edge effects can be ignored in the simplified analytical model.

Non-passive approximation is presented as a tool to study the realizability of amplifying media. As an interesting physical example, we derive first a suitable approximation of the plasmonic singularity of a dielectric sphere with respect to a hypothetical amplifying background medium. A non-passive approximation based on convex optimization is then employed to investigate the necessary bandwidth requirements to achieve the approximate pole singularity.

Convex optimization has emerged as a well-suited tool for passive approximation. Here, it is desired to approximate some pre-defined non-trivial system response over a given finite frequency band by using a passive system. This paper summarizes some explicit results concerning the Hilbert transform of general B-splines of arbitrary order and arbitrary partitions that can be useful with the convex optimization formulation. A numerical example in power engineering is included concerning the identification of some model parameters based on measurements on high-voltage insulation materials.

This article presents a study of transmission through arrays of periodic sub-wavelength apertures. Fundamental limitations for this phenomenon are formulated as a sum rule, relating the transmission coefficient over a bandwidth to the static polarizability. The sum rule is rigorously derived for arbitrary periodic apertures in thin screens. By this sum rule we establish a physical bound on the transmission bandwidth which is verified numerically for a number of aperture array designs. We utilize the sum rule to design and optimize sub-wavelength frequency selective surfaces with a bandwidth close to the physically attainable. Finally, we verify the sum rule and simulations by measurements of an array of horseshoe-shaped slots milled in aluminum foil.

This paper discusses criteria for establishing uniqueness of wave propagation problems. Causality, or passivity that implies causality, is adopted as the fundamental principle. It is stressed that radiation conditions are not applicable for waveguide modes that carry no active power. The Jones' criteria for causality in the frequency domain, which covers the convectively unstable case, are presented and analysed, the vanishing absorption principle, VAP, in particular. It is proposed to use L² for a lossy medium but a weighted L² for the lossless case.

This paper presents a study of the physical limitations for radio frequency absorption in gold nanoparticle (GNP) suspensions. A spherical geometry is considered consisting of a spherical suspension of colloidal GNPs characterized as an arbitrary passive dielectric material which is immersed in an arbitrary lossy medium. A relative heating coefficient and a corresponding optimal near field excitation are defined, taking the skin effect of the surrounding medium into account. The classical Mie theory for lossy media is also revisited, and it is shown that the optimal permittivity function yielding a maximal absorption inside the spherical suspension is a conjugate match with respect to the surrounding lossy material. A convex optimization approach is used to investigate the broadband realizability of an arbitrary passive material to approximate the desired conjugate match over a finite bandwidth, similar to the approximation of a metamaterial. A narrowband realizability study shows that for a surrounding medium consisting of a weak electrolyte solution, the electromagnetic heating, due to the electrophoretic (plasmonic) resonance phenomena inside the spherical GNP suspension, can be significant in the microwave regime, provided that the related Drude parameters can be tuned into (or near to) resonance. As a demonstration, some realistic Drude parameters are investigated concerning the volume fraction, mass, and friction constant of the GNPs. The amount of charge that can be accommodated by the GNPs is identified as one of the most important design parameters. However, the problem of reliably modelling, measuring and controlling the charge number of coated GNPs is not yet fully understood, and is still an open research issue in this field. The presented theory and related physical limitations provide a useful framework for further research in this direction. Future research is also aimed at an expansion towards arbitrary suspension geometries and the inclusion of thermodynamical analysis.

This paper reformulates and extends some recent analytical results concerning a new optical theorem and the associated physical bounds on absorption in lossy media. The analysis is valid for any linear scatterer (such as an antenna), consisting of arbitrary materials (bianisotropic, etc.)  and arbitrary geometries,  as long as the scatterer is circumscribed by a spherical volume embedded in a lossy background medium. The corresponding formulas are here reformulated and extended to encompass magnetic as well as dielectric background media. Explicit derivations, formulas and discussions are also given for the corresponding bounds on scattering and extinction. A numerical example concerning the optimal microwave absorption and scattering in atmospheric oxygen in the 60 GHz communication band is included to illustrate the theory.

This paper presents a c ylindrical multipole expansion for periodic sources with applications for three-phase power cables.It is the aim of the contribution to provide some analytical solutions and techniques that can be useful in the calculation ofcable losses. Explicit analytical results are given for the fields generated by a three-phase helical current distribution andwhich can be computed efficiently as an input to other numerical methods such as, for example , the Method of Moments.It is shown that the field computations are numerically stable at low frequencies (such as 50 Hz) as well as in the quasi-magnetostatic limit provided that sources are divergence-free. The cylindrical multipole expansion is fur thermore usedto derive an efficient analytical model of a measurement coil to measure and estimate the complex valued permeability ofmagnetic steel armour in the presence of a strong skin-effect.

New fundamental upper bounds have recently been given regarding the optimal plasmonic multipole resonances of a rotationally invariant sphere embedded in a lossy surrounding medium. The new theory is based on a generalized optical theorem for the absorption of a sphere in a lossy medium and employs straightforward analysis to explicitly maximize a concave function. The new bounds are briefly summarized in this paper and then employed in a study concerning the effectiveness of using gold nanospheres as absorbers of the sizes typically used in biomedical applications and plasmonic photothermal therapy.

This paper gives a report of an ongoing research to develop parametric boundary integral equations for helical structures and their application in the computation of induced currents and losses in three-phase power cables. The proposed technique is formulated in terms of the Electric Field Integral Equation (EFIE) or the Magnetic Field Integral Equation (MFIE) for a penetrable object together with the appropriate periodic Green's functions and a suitable parameterization of the helical structure. A simple and efficient numerical scheme is proposed for the computation of the impedance matrix in the Method of Moments (MoM) which is based on a multi-resolution 4-D FFT computation followed by polynomial extrapolation. Numerical examples are included demonstrating that the singular integrals have almost linear convergence and hence that linear or quadratic extrapolation can be used to yield accurate results.