Principles of modelling guided waves is presented. The mechanisms and mathematics required for optical guiding in semiconductor-slab guides is discussed. Many modes are permitted and the effective refractive index changes with increasing mode number from a value close to the largest value of refractive index down to a value close to the smallest value of refractive index of the different layers.

Inspec keywords: refractive index; semiconductor quantum wells; optical planar waveguides; optical multilayers

Other keywords: multilayer guide; refractive index; guided waves modelling; semiconductor-slab guides; confinement layer; quantum wells

Subjects: Optical waveguides and couplers