FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TE AND TM MODES IN NONLINEAR PLANAR WAVEGUIDES

A general approach based on the finite element method for analyzing optical waves guided by dielectric planar waveguides with arbitrary nonlinear media and with arbitrary refractive index distribution is considered. A complete transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic mode analysis is presented and TM polarization solutions are obtained without approximations on the biaxial nature of the nonlinear refractive index. Solution convergence and stability is discussed and both film-guided and surface-guided modes are presented for symmetrical and asymmetrical structures. Bistability and hysteresis phenomena have been investigated for TE as well as for TM modes.