The propagation of optical beams in optical thin films grown by pulsed lase
r deposition is studied numerically in order to predict the influence of th
e film curvature on the performance of planar waveguide lasers. Several wav
eguiding structures are considered. The confinement of both the pump and th
e signal fields as well the overlap between the beams during propagation ar
e examined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.