FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TE AND TM MODES IN NONLINEAR PLANAR WAVE-GUIDES

A general approach based on the finite element method for analyzing op tical waves guided by dielectric planar waveguides with arbitrary nonl inear media and with arbitrary refractive index distribution is consid ered. A complete transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic mode anal ysis is presented and TM polarization solutions are obtained without a pproximations 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 asymmetrica l structures. Bistability and hysteresis phenomena have been investiga ted for TE as well as for TM modes.