A high‐order vector finite‐element‐method (FEM) analysis of periodic absorbers is presented. By the virtue of the FEM, accurate modeling of complicated absorber structures is made possible. For a given accuracy, high‐order elements are used to reduce the number of unknowns and hence the computing time and memory consumption. The FEM is further combined with the asymptotic waveform evalaution (AWE) technique to produce fast‐frequency sweep. Both singly and doubly periodic absorbers are modeled and the accuracy of the method is demonstrated by comparisons with analytical solutions and published data. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 37: 203–207, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10869