Nullspace ES 2025 R1: Enhanced Performance and Scalability for Electrostatic Simulations
Technical Product Brief
Nullspace Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Nullspace ES 2025 R1, featuring significant enhancements that dramatically improve computational efficiency and enable solutions to larger-scale electrostatic problems than ever before. This release introduces high-order basis functions and delivers substantial performance improvements across the entire simulation workflow.
Figure 1: Example large-scale ion trap used for benchmarking performance of Nullspace ES 2025R1.
High-Order Basis Functions: A New Paradigm for Large-Scale Problems
The centerpiece of the 2025 R1 release is the introduction of higher-order basis functions (HOBF), building upon the success of the existing basis function formulation. This advancement provides users with a powerful new tool for tackling computationally demanding simulations.
Key benefits of high-order basis functions include:
Reduced Memory Requirements: HOBF discretization associates unknowns with mesh vertices rather than elements, typically resulting in fewer total unknowns. In benchmark testing, a complex ion trap geometry saw unknown counts reduced from 96,911 (Order 0) to just 56,345 (Order 1), achieving a 5X reduction in memory usage from 18.9 GB to 3.8 GB using Nullspace’s compression solver.
Figure 2: The loading zone of the large-scale ion trap. The control and RF electrodes are represented at 3D structures to better capture edge effects between electrodes.
Superior Accuracy-to-Memory Ratio: HOBFs can capture charge density variations within each element, providing higher accuracy per unknown compared to constant basis functions. This is particularly advantageous for smooth geometries and large-scale simulations where memory constraints are critical.
Maintained Computational Efficiency: Despite the increased complexity of basis function evaluations, the reduced unknown count leads to faster overall solution times for large problems.
Improved Post-Processing Performance
The 2025 R1 release delivers breakthrough improvements in post-processing performance. When computing potentials and electric fields on dense grids, users will experience dramatic speedups. In real-world testing with 24 electrodes and nearly 200,000 grid points, post-processing time was reduced by over 50X—from approximately 12 hours in the 2024 R1 release to under 1 hour in 2025 R1.
This performance enhancement enables:
Rapid design iteration with high-resolution field analysis
Efficient parameter sweeps and optimization studies
Practical analysis of ultralarge Penning traps
Enhanced Solver Robustness
The low-order solver has been significantly improved, offering:
More stable mesh convergence characteristics
Support for more aggressive mesh gradation factors (up to 2.0 or higher)
Faster solution times at equivalent accuracy levels
Better handling of complex geometries with sharp features
Practical Impact
These enhancements combine to deliver substantial real-world benefits. In benchmark testing on the trap geometry shown in Figure 1, the 2025 R1 release achieved:
3.3X faster total simulation time (784 seconds reduced to 238 seconds)
5X reduction in memory usage (18.9 GB reduced to 3.8 GB)
Maintained or improved solution accuracy
Conclusion
Nullspace ES 2025 R1 represents a major advancement in electrostatic simulation capability. By introducing high-order basis functions and dramatically improving post-processing performance, this release empowers engineers and scientists to solve larger, more complex problems faster than ever before. The combination of reduced memory requirements, enhanced solver robustness, and revolutionary post-processing speeds makes 2025 R1 an essential upgrade for all Nullspace ES users.
For detailed information about implementing these new features in your workflow, please refer to the updated User's Guide included with the release.
Current Nullspace ES customers can contact support@nullspaceinc.com to get the download link for release.
If you are interested in cutting edge Ion Trap simulation software to allow you to design more advanced trap architecture - please reach out to info@nullspaceinc.com