Low-Frequency Shielding Characterization of Planar Materials Using the H-t Cell Set-up: 3D Full-Wave Simulations and Measurements Study

This paper examines the H-t cell set-up used for the low-frequency magnetic shielding characterization of planar materials. The study combines 3D full-wave simulations with practical measurements over the frequency range of 9 kHz to 100 MHz. Numerical simulations using the Finite-Difference-TimeDomain solver are employed to model and simulate the set-up. Various material samples are considered to gauge their shielding effectiveness through both simulations and measurements. A good correlation between the simulated and measured shielding effectiveness is observed, thereby validating our simulation model. Additionally, this paper investigates the impact of several parameters of the H-t cell set-up on the shielding effectiveness characterization. These parameters include the loops' orientation, loop-to-sample distance, and loops' radii, with the aim of better replicating real electromagnetic environments. The investigation underscores that shifting loops from coplanar to parallel configurations leads to decreased shielding. Additionally, in coplanar setups, the loop-to-sample distance is more impactful, whereas, in parallel configurations, the loops' radii become more influential. Index Terms-H-t cell, low-frequency, magnetic shielding effectiveness, planar materials.