Shift operator method and Runge-Kutta exponential time differencing method for plasma

In this paper, the shift operator finite difference time domain (SO-FDTD) method and Runge-Kutta exponential time differencing (RKETD) method are introduced. The high accuracy and efficiency of the two methods are verified by calculating the reflection and transmission coefficients of electromagnetic waves through a collisional plasma slab. A comparison of computational efficiency of the two methods is presented by simulating the electromagnetic wave propagation in homogeneous non-magnetized plasma. The numerical results indicate that the calculation time using SO-FDTD method is less than that using RKETD method with almost the same accuracy.