Finite element optical modeling of liquid crystal waveguides

A finite element modesolver and beam propagation (BPM) algorithm are applied to the optical analysis of liquid crystal waveguides. Both approaches are used in combination with advanced liquid crystal calculations and include a full dielectric tensor in solving the Helmholtz equation to model the liquid crystal behavior properly. Simulation of the beam propagation in a waveguide with tunable liquid crystal cladding layer illustrates the coupling of a Gaussian beam to the fundamental waveguide mode obtained with the modesolver. Excellent quantitative agreement between both approaches illustrates the potential of these methods for the design of advanced devices. The high accuracy of the BPM algorithm for wide angle propagation, essential in the analysis of high index contrast waveguides, is illustrated for angles up to 40 deg. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3564593]