Semivectorial Beam-Propagation Method for Analyzing Polarized Modes of Rib Waveguides

We report a semivectorial beam-propagation method which can determine the form birefringence in rib or channel waveguides. In this approach, a finite-difference equation is solved by using the alternating-direction implicit method to simulate the propagation of the optical beam. Since boundary conditions are incorporated into the finite-difference equation, polarized modes can be simulated. Numerical results on three well-known rib waveguides are presented with comparisons to published data.