Approximation method for fast calculation of transmission in multi-mode waveguides

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Computational Electromagnetics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Freeform dielectric waveguides are crucial for integrated photonic devices, connecting chips of varying materials.
• Current design tools face computational challenges due to waveguide size, hindering rapid optimization.
• Existing methods for predicting waveguide loss often assume single-mode propagation, which is insufficient for many applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fast and accurate method for predicting transmission in dielectric waveguides.
• To accommodate the unavoidable presence and potential benefits of higher-order modes in waveguide design.
• To enable accelerated design and optimization of integrated photonic devices.

Main Methods:

• Developed an approximate method for calculating light transmission in waveguides.
• The method accounts for the propagation of higher-order waveguide modes.
• Assessed the method's reliability by simulating light propagation in selected devices.

Main Results:

• The presented approximate method provides fast predictions of waveguide transmission.
• The method successfully accommodates higher-order modes, unlike previous approaches.
• Demonstrated the tool's utility in analyzing light propagation through complex waveguide structures.

Conclusions:

• The developed approximate method offers a significant improvement for the design of integrated photonic devices.
• Fast prediction of transmission, including higher-order modes, is essential for optimizing waveguide trajectories.
• This work facilitates the accelerated design of advanced photonic devices by overcoming computational limitations.