Effective index method for the computation of the propagation constant and electromagnetic field distribution in z-uniform dielectric or semiconductor waveguides

Abstract

The paper presents a numerical implementation of the Effective Index Method (EIM) for the determination of the propagation constants and field distributions in dielectric or semiconductor guiding structures that are uniform on the direction of propagation. The implementation proved to be applicable to a wide range of guiding structures (ridge, buried and diffused guides) and was tested against analytical solutions and against other methods' results proving good accuracy. The advantages and limitations of the EIM are discussed and a common waveguide problem result is presented as an example. From the practical applications of the method, the optical analysis of the ridge geometry and QW positioning of a 3W continuous wave GRIN SCH SQW laser diode in the 670 nm band is briefly discussed and the measured performances of the devices are presented.