A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF MULTILAYER CHANNEL WAVE-GUIDES

Using a simple approach based on the scalar finite element method, pro pagation characteristics of multilayer channel waveguides are calculat ed. The effective index, modal field, confinement factor, far-field in tensity pattern, and radiation angle of the far-field pattern (full wi dth at half maximum intensity) for multilayer channel waveguides forme d with multiple quantum well (MQW) materials and with the MQW material s replaced by a single homogeneous material with the root mean square value of the refractive indexes are compared. Numerical results confir m that the root-mean-square-value approximation, which has been widely used for planar MQW (two-dimensional) waveguides, is useful also for MQW channel (three-dimensional) waveguides with a large number of laye rs.