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Waveguidance: TIR at Two Parallel Interfaces
Waveguidance: TIR at Two Parallel Interfaces
Waveguidance: TIR at Two Parallel Interfaces
E y ( x) A cos(Ux / a ) x a
(9)
A cos U e ( x / a 1) x a
TM (n2 1.40)
The continuity of the tangential Ey has been ensured in the above
expression while the continuity of the other components is ensured
through the eigenvalue equation. Thus, only for those values of U TM (n2 1.48)
which satisfy the eigenvalue equation, the continuity conditions are LHS and RHS TE
satisfied and the field is a valid solution of Maxwell's equations.
Figure 2 shows a plot of the LHS and RHS of the
eigenvalue equation for symmetric TE modes as a function of U.
(Note that both the axes are scaled with ). The intersection points
represent the solutions. In the case of the figure in which V 3.2 ,
there are only 4 intersection points, which correspond respectively,
with increasing values of U to TE0, TE2, TE4 and TE6. Obviously, as V U /
increases, the RHS curve moves away from the origin with more Fig. 4: Same as Fig. 2 with added RHS curves for the TM
intersection points occur indicating an increase in the number of modes with n1 =1.50 and n2 =1.40 (upper most curve) and
modes. It should also be noted that between two even modes, there is with n1 =1.5 and n2 =1.48 (middle curve). The lowest curve
always one odd mode, e.g., TE0 is followed by TE1 before TE2 is is for the TE modes.
possible. These odd modes correspond to the intersection of the RHS
curve with the plot of U cot U , different branches of which lie The electric field component Ex is discontinuous at the interface and
between branches of the U tan U in Fig.2. The even modes are the magnetic field Hy is given by the same expression as for the Ey of
symmetric about the x=0 plane while the odd modes are antisymmtric. TE modes in Eq. 9. It may noted that the TE and TM modes are thus
Figure 3 shows the field variation for TE0 and TE1 modes for a orthogonally polarized. If the waveguide is excited by a x-polarized
waveguide with n1=1.5, n2=1.48 and d=3.912 m . For 1 m wave then only TM modes will be excited while a y-polarized wave
would excite only the TE modes.
and hence, V=3, we have TE 0 9.4058 m -1 and
-1
Scalar Approximation
TE1 9.3525 m corresponding to U=1.1695 and 2.2788,
Figure 4 shows that as n 2 n1 , the RHS curve for the
respectively. The mode-index m gives the number of maxima in the
TM modes approach that for the TE modes. Even for a relatively large
field in the core region ( x 1 ) and there are no maxima in the
difference when n2 1.4 and the curve appears well separated, the
cladding region ( x 1 ). Also, the number of zeroes is given by m-1. value of U is not very different as the LHS curve is nearly vertical.
This suggests that when n 2 n1 , one can assume that the U-values
are same to a very good approximation. This is termed as the weakly
guiding approximation. Under this approximation, the two
orthogonally polarized solutions, the TE and TM modes, have
identical propagation constant and hence, propagate with same phase
TE0 velocity through the waveguide. This is like the two orthogonally
polarized plane waves in an homogeneous medium. Thus, under this
approximation any plane polarization would propagate without any
Ey (x/a)
Anurag Sharma 2