Dielectric Rectangular Waveguide and Directional Coupler for Integrated Optics

Abstract

We study the transmission properties of a guide consisting of a dielectric rod with rectangular cross section, surrounded by several dielectrics of smaller refractive indices. This guide is suitable for integrated optical circuitry because of its size, single-mode operation, mechanical stability, simplicity, and precise construction. After making some simplifying assumptions, we solve Maxwell's equations in closed form and find, that, because of total internal reflection, the guide supports two types of hybrid modes which are essentially of the TEM kind polarized at right angles. Their attenuations are comparable to that of a plane wave traveling in the material of which the rod is made. If the refractive indexes are chosen properly, the guide can support only the fundamental modes of each family with any aspect ratio of the guide cross section. By adding thin lossy layers, the guide presents higher loss to one of those modes. As an alternative, the guide can be made to support only one of the modes if part of the surrounding dielectrics is made a low impedance medium. Finally, we determine the coupling between parallel guiding rods of slightly different sizes and dielectrics; at wavelengths around one micron, 3-dB directional couplers, a few hundred microns long, can be achieved with separations of the guides about the same as their widths (a few microns).