Optics of Guided Waves

Abstract

In multimode waveguides, many classical optical effects continue to exist in modified form, and new optical effects are observed. The talk gives a review of some of these effects. The thin-film optical waveguide, a 2 dimensional (2D) propagation medium, may be considered as a versatile artificial dielectric. Trough local design of the guide, a variety of optical elements for this 2D optics can be constructed in analogy to known 3D optical elements. Periodic guides show pass- and stopbands and act as reflectors and filters, and they are used in modulators and deflectors. Warping a planar guide into the third dimension offers new possibilities of optics which do not exist in ordinary, 3D optics. Thick optical waveguides, with homogeneous or graded index distribution, can form real optical images. Of particular interest for applications in micro-optics is the formation of multiple images in homogeneous rectangular waveguides.