High-power microwave (HPM) pulses, which can interfere with or damage electronic components and circuits, have attracted considerable research interest in recent years. Aperture coupling represents a primary mechanism for such pulses to penetrate shielded metallic enclosures, significantly affecting the electromagnetic compatibility and resilience of electronic systems. Although substantial studies have focused on shielding effectiveness and resonant behaviors, the spatial distribution of coupling parameters—particularly the extent of strongly coupled regions within the cavity—remains inadequately investigated. This paper proposes a quantitative metric termed “the coverage rate of the strong-coupled region” to better evaluate HPM backdoor coupling effects.

The objective is to systematically examine the influence of key HPM waveform parameters on this coverage rate within a representative metallic cavity.

A three-dimensional simulation model of a rectangular metallic cavity with an aperture was developed by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The internal field distribution was monitored via an array of electric field probes. Numerical simulations were performed to assess the effects of various HPM parameters, including frequency, pulse width, pulse rise time, and polarization angle, on the coverage of strongly coupled regions.

The coverage rate was markedly higher at the cavity’s inherent resonant frequencies than at non-resonant frequencies. Increasing the pulse width led to a saturation of coverage beyond a specific threshold. Variations in polarization angle from horizontal to vertical considerably enhanced the coverage, with vertical polarization yielding the maximum value. Superimposing multiple resonant frequencies effectively compensated for weakly coupled areas, further increasing the overall coverage. In contrast, the pulse rise time had a negligible effect on the coverage rate. The proposed coverage rate of the strong-coupled region effectively addresses the practical dilemma wherein strong local coupling does not necessarily lead to significant system-level effects.

This metric provides a quantitative basis for optimizing the alignment between sensitive components and highly coupled zones. Frequency and polarization are identified as decisive parameters for enhancing coupling effectiveness, while pulse width and multi-frequency excitation can be utilized to achieve more uniform and robust coupling coverage. These findings offer valuable guidance for the design and assessment of HPM protection measures and electromagnetic compatibility analysis.