ABSTRACT

Optical waveguides are essential elements of many optoelectronic devices. Their primary role is shaping, confining, and guiding of an optical beam along a selected direction. This chapter provides an introduction to the theory of optical waveguide and discusses the modal characteristics of infinitely long shift invariant optical waveguides. It outlines the theory of beam propagation method, which is the standard numerical approach used for the analysis of wave propagation in optical waveguiding structures. The chapter examines modal characteristics of the selected longitudinally shift-invariant optical wave-guides that are relevant to optoelectronic devices. The operation of many optoelectronic devices relies on the phenomenon of light guiding along optical waveguides. A very useful intuitive insight into the operation of tapered optical waveguides can be gained through applying ray optics. Finally, an optical beam, although propagating through a bent waveguide Section, may undergo a change of its polarization state.