Broadband Multilayer Absorber Design Using Double-Stage Cognitive Seeker Optimization Algorithm

In this paper, a double-stage cognitive seeker optimization (DSC-SO) algorithm is developed for evaluating optimum design parameters of broadband microwave absorbers. The algorithm not only gives freedom of selecting different number of layers and optimizing the order of layers and their thickness in different stages (double-stage) but also utilizes a cognitive search to improve the optimization. Contributions of the cognitive search and the two stages of our algorithm are first examined to show its efficiency. Then, its performance has been evaluated for two different optimization problems (a broadband absorber for one incidence angle and a broadband absorber with multiple incidence angles) in comparison with similar algorithms in the literature. It has been shown that our algorithm determines either fewer number of layers or smaller overall absorber thickness or both when compared with the results of other algortihms. Finally, the effect of fabrication tolerance is conducted to examine the importance of fewer number of layers.