Finite difference method extension for the design and modeling of optical devices using materials with diverse properties

Author(s)

Licinius Dimitri Sá de Alcantara

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2004-03-25

Examining board members

Ben Hur Viana Borges; Ricardo Teixeira de Carvalho; Amilcar Careli César; Hugo Enrique Hernández Figueroa; Fernando Lisboa Teixeira

• Advisor: Ben Hur Viana Borges; Amilcar Careli César

Abstract

This work introduces three improved formalisms for the analysis of electromagnetic wave propagation through materials with distinct optical properties, i.e., isotropic, anisotropic, linear, nonlinear, or any combination of them. Two finite difference approaches were extensively investigated in this work for this purpose, namely the finite difference in time domain (FDTD), and the finite difference beam propagation method (2D and 3D FD-BPM), these in frequency domain. Initially, a TM (transverse magnetic) mode propagating through a planar magnetooptic/nonlinear/linear waveguide was investigated by way of a two-dimensional formalism (FDTD and FD-BPM). This mode polarization was chosen based on the orientation of the external magnetostatic field adopted, which favored the observation of non-reciprocal and nonlinear effects simultaneously. On the other hand, it is well known that FDTD formalisms are computationally intensives. Therefore, a great effort was dedicated to its frequency domain counterpart (FD-BPM), which was implemented in two and three dimensions. The later was further extended to a fully vectorial formalism, which is capable of simulating hybrid modes or even the energy transfer between orthogonal modes. This enabled us to investigate more complex geometries, such as an optical isolator based on magnetooptic rib waveguide. Additionally, complex phenomena, such as the dynamic of light condensates in bulk nonlinear Kerr media with saturation, also known as cubic-quintic nonlinear media, were investigated for the first time with a 3D vectorial formalism. Finally, numerical methods capable of handling any combination of materials with distinct optical properties (linear and/or nonlinear and/or magnetooptic) are an extraordinary tool for the scientific community for the design of new optical devices, as well as the investigation of new physical effects aimed for optical computing, that may result in fewer and more efficient components for optical communication systems. (AU)