Open AccessA finite-difference frequency-domain method for full-vectroial mode solutions of anisotropic optical waveguides with arbitrary permittivity tensor
Author(s) -
Ming-Yun Chen,
Szu-Chun Hsu,
HungChun Chang
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.005965
Subject(s) - perfectly matched layer , waveguide , eigenvalues and eigenvectors , optics , tensor (intrinsic definition) , permittivity , beam propagation method , physics , boundary value problem , transverse mode , finite element method , finite difference method , transverse plane , mathematical analysis , maxwell's equations , anisotropy , finite difference time domain method , geometry , classical mechanics , mathematics , refractive index , dielectric , quantum mechanics , laser , structural engineering , thermodynamics , engineering
A new finite-difference frequency-domain (FDFD) method based eigenvalue algorithm is developed for analyzing anisotropic optical waveguides with an arbitrary permittivity tensor. Yee's mesh is employed in the FD formulation along with perfectly matched layer (PML) absorption boundary conditions. A standard eigenvalue matrix equation is successfully derived through considering simultaneously four transverse field components. The new algorithm is first applied to the mode solution of a proton-exchanged LiNbO(3) optical waveguide and the results agree with those obtained using a full-vectorial finite-element beam propagation method. Then, the algorithm is used to study modes on a liquid-crystal optical waveguide with arbitrary molecular director orientation. This arbitrary orientation may cause the loss of transverse-axis symmetries of the waveguide with symmetric background structure. Asymmetric mode-field profiles under such situations are clearly demonstrated in the numerical examples.