2.

Optical Waveguide Modes

• Optical Waveguide – fundamental element
of interconnection.
• Interconnection
– Electrical - Metallic strip (consider ohm’s law)
– Optical - Dielectric waveguide (consider
distinct optical modes)
– Optical waves travel in the waveguide in
distinct optical modes.

1
 Mode
• A spatial distribution of optical energy in
one or more dimensions.

2
 Modes in a Planar waveguide Structure

• Planar Waveguide

3
 Maxwell’s Eqs.
• Maxwell’s eqs.

• Source free

4
5
6
7
 0

0
8
(x,y) (x,y)
(x,y)
0

9
10
0

11
0 0 0

12
0

13
0 0

0 0

14
0 0

15
0

16
 0 0 0
0

Diagram of the possible modes in a planar waveguide 17

Cut-off
0
Conditions
0

0 0

18
Number of Modes

19
0

20
21
22
23
0

24
25
0

26
27
0

0
0 0

28
29
Optical mode patterns in a planar waveguide 30
Optical mode shapes 31
32
33
34
35
 Prism coupler
• Prism coupler (for multimode analysis)

Symmetric

36
37
Ray-Optic Approach

38
39
40
0

41
42
 0

43
0
44
refraction

45
46
47
48
49
50
51
 0

0 0 0

0
0

52
 0 0

0
0
0 0

53
0 0

0 0 0

54
0

0
0 0

55
56
0

57
1
1

2
2 2

58
 2 2 1 1

2 2 1 1

2 2 1 2 2

2 2 1 2 2

2 1
1
2
2 1 59
2 2+ 2 2 1
2 2- 2 2 1

2 2 1
2 2

60
- +

+
1 2 2 1 2 2
1 2 2 1 2 2

61
 2

1
2

2
2

0 1 0 1
62
2
63
64
0
65
66
67
0

68
0

69
 0

70
0 0

0 71
0

2 0 72
≒

73
74
0
75
76
77
78
0

79
80
81
82
83
84
 0

85
86
87
0

88
0

0
89
90
91
0

92