RAY ANALYSIS OF PARABOLIC-INDEX SEGMENTED PLANAR WAVE-GUIDES

A ray analysis of periodically segmented waveguides with parabolic-ind ex variation in the high-index region is presented. We carried out the analysis using ray transfer matrices, which is convenient to implemen t and which can be extended to study different types of graded-index s egmented waveguide. Results of this ray tracing approach clearly illus trate the waveguiding properties and the existence of stable and unsta ble regions of operation in segmented waveguides. We also illustrate t he tapering action exhibited by segmented waveguides in which the duty cycle varies along the length of the waveguide. This analysis, althou gh restricted to multimode structures, provides a clear visualization of the waveguiding properties in terms of ray propagation in segmented waveguides. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.