Analysis of micro corner reflectors by finite element method and their applications to optical devices

By using eigenfunctions obtained from the analysis of an optical waveguide obtained from a new one-dimensional finite element method, a method is proposed for connecting them to the computational domain by Galerkin's method. The usefulness of the connecting boundary is demonstrated. The present procedure provides a two-dimensional program for the analysis of Maxwell's full equations. By means of this method, a micro semiconductor corner reflector consisting of two total reflection mirrors is analyzed. The reflectivity in an infinitesimal region with a waveguide width of less than 1.0 mum in the corner reflector is characterized for the first time. It is shown that the reflectivity in the micro structure is limited by the trapping coefficient of the waveguide. Enhancement of the optical intensity distribution at the tip of the corner reflector is discovered. A reflection-type optical demultiplexer and a near-field enhancement method using a micro-corner reflector are proposed. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.