Modeling mode characteristics of transverse anisotropic waveguides using a vector pseudospectral approach

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Waveguide Optics
• Computational Electromagnetics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Anisotropic dielectric optical waveguides are crucial components in modern photonic devices.
• Accurate analysis of their mode behavior is essential for device design and optimization.
• Existing numerical methods can be computationally intensive and memory-demanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the full vector pseudospectral-based eigenvalue scheme for analyzing dielectric optical waveguides with transverse, nondiagonal anisotropy.
• To improve computational efficiency and reduce memory requirements compared to existing methods.
• To analyze specific waveguide structures like magneto-optical and liquid-crystal waveguides.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a full vector pseudospectral-based eigenvalue scheme employing transverse magnetic field components.
• Expanding guided mode fields using Chebyshev polynomials for interior subdomains and Laguerre-Gaussian functions for exterior subdomains.
• Applying the method to analyze circularly-polarized modes in a magneto-optical raised strip waveguide and guided modes in a nematic liquid-crystal channel waveguide.

Main Results:

• The developed numerical approach demonstrates higher computational efficiency.
• The method requires significantly less computer memory compared to the vector finite difference approach.
• Accurate analysis of mode behaviors in complex anisotropic waveguides was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The extended pseudospectral eigenvalue scheme provides an efficient and accurate tool for analyzing anisotropic optical waveguides.
• This method is suitable for investigating various complex waveguide structures, including those with magneto-optical and liquid-crystal materials.
• The improved computational performance makes it valuable for practical photonic device design and research.