Silicon Waveguide Analysis

Abstract The Maxwell’s equations are a basic formulation using for solve propagation equations within a waveguide. In this research, the wave propagation inside the waveguide was studied and some basic parameters of wave propagation were measured through MATLAB 2013. Silicon with a refractive index 3.46 was chosen to study this propagation and the use of core and cladding with a lower refractive index 2.46 and some parameters were extracted for the waveguide including propagation constant, cutoff wavenumber, cutoff frequency, cutoff thickness and normalized parameter. These parameters are studied at the wavelength 0.6 μm for transvers electric TE and transvers magnetic TM we changed the core thickness at wavelength constant and found that the number of modes increases as the increase of core thickness and the waveform is thinner in TM than it is in TE. We note from the measurements that the value of cutoff frequency and cutoff thickness are equal in the two types TE and TM. Moreover, when two modes (m=0, 1) and core thickness 0.24 μm the value of propagation constant in TE is equal (34.8901, 30.7737) while in TM (30.6440, 26.1967) respectively, we find that the values in TE are greater than TM. Also, the results obtained from Finite Difference Method were compared with the method used (Maxwell’s equation through wave equation solutions). This work represents a short pathway for the theoretical analysis concerning the electromagnetic waves propagating through Si planar waveguide with both modes (TE and TM) considered.